Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Estate Planning and Disputes

The average human lifespan is approximately 72 years. However, no one knows how long a person could live. Anything could happen during that time and lead to an eventual death, caused by accidents, sickness, and more. Before reaching that point, it is essential to have estate planning as soon as that person has assets to distribute or dependents to protect.

A will is the only way in which someone’s wishes are clearly communicated and legally recognised after their death. However, without the plan, the government will distribute their assets according to the law. It may not align with their wishes, causing conflicts and disputes among heirs. To avoid this situation, many people are looking for legal protection through estate planning.

What is estate planning?

Estate planning is the process of deciding how a person’s money, property, investments, and personal belongings will be managed and shared during their lifetime and after their death. This process usually involves working with legal and financial professionals to make sure these arrangements follow the law and reflect personal wishes.

Additionally, estate planning goes beyond creating a will. It can include setting up trusts, naming guardians for children, choosing someone to make medical or financial decisions in case of incapacity, and finding ways to reduce taxes and legal costs. Lastly, this legal arrangement aims to protect wealth, provide for loved ones, and prepare for unexpected events.

1. Wills and trusts: Specify who inherits what and when.
2. Powers of attorney: Appoints someone for financial handling or medical decision making when the person has become unable.
3. Guardianship designations: Decides who should take care of the minor children.
4. Tax planning: Lowers estate taxes and fees.
5. Healthcare directives: Communicates medical wishes.

Important purposes of estate planning

The two most important purposes of estate planning are to ensure a person’s wishes are honoured and to protect loved ones from family conflicts. Within this legal arrangement, a person specifies how their assets are distributed and who will take care of their affairs. This clear instruction will lower or prevent confusion and disputes among heirs. 

However, with poorly written estate planning, some conflicts may arise. This is due to ambiguous wording, improper execution, lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, or even fraud. That is why hiring a professional estate planner is important for these matters. 

Course Description

With the challenges mentioned above, pursuing a career in this field will be a great path to help people who are looking for experts in asset protection and dispute resolution. Many individuals need this expertise to secure peace of mind during their lifetime and after they are gone. The Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Estate Planning and Disputes equips learners with the knowledge and skills to meet this demand and build a meaningful career.

The programme will help you to gain advanced knowledge and practical skills in estate planning. It focuses on the legal, financial, and ethical aspects of managing and moving assets. Besides that, it covers topics such as wills, trusts, tax implications, probate processes, and more. In doing so, this course will provide these learning outcomes:

• Grasp the legal and financial basics behind wills, trusts, probate, and asset distribution.
• Learn how to prepare valid wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related legal instruments.
• Review and apply methods to minimise taxes and preserve wealth through estate planning.
• Understand the procedural steps and legal requirements for administration.
• Know methods in negotiation, mediation, and litigation to handle conflicts effectively.
• Build the ability to guide clients through estate planning options and dispute resolution.
• Know professional duties and legal obligations in the planning and dispute contexts.
• Tackle challenges such as cross-border estates, blended families, and special needs trusts.
• Learn to review and adjust plans to reflect changing laws and client circumstances.

Course Outline

The Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Estate Planning and Disputes course is divided into several sessions. Each of them has its own module to help your learning process throughout the study plan. To have the general idea about each topic, here are the summaries from each module you are going to have:

1. Foundations of Estate Planning: Introducing the basic concepts and legal principles behind this activity. You will learn about the roles of key players such as executors and trustees, and how the will fits within the broader legal and financial system.
2. Wills and Trusts: This module will let you explore how to create valid wills and the different types of trusts.
3. Probate and Estate Administration: In this part, you will learn about the probate process, including how estates are valued, debts are settled, and assets are distributed.
4. Taxation in Estate Planning: It studies the tax implications of estate transfers, including inheritance and estate taxes.
5. Powers of Attorney and Incapacity Planning: This session will teach you how to prepare for situations where a person loses mental capacity and becomes unable to manage their finances or healthcare.
6. Estate Disputes and Resolution: You will study the common causes of disputes over estates. Thus, you are going to build skills in resolving conflicts through negotiation, mediation, and court action.
7. Ethics and Professional Responsibilities: This part explains the ethical duties and fiduciary responsibilities of professionals in handling estates.
8. Special Topics in Estate Planning: This module covers complex situations, including blended families, charitable donations, and business succession.

Admission Requirements

Before joining the Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Estate Planning and Disputes course, there are some requirements you need to be aware of. First, you need a Level 6 qualification in law, finance, business, or a related field. After that, if you are speaking English as a second language, you have to prove your proficiency. You can use tests like IELTS with a score above 6.0.

Feel the benefits by enrolling in the CCM!

The Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Estate Planning and Disputes course will be delivered through online classes. You will gain access to them once you have completed the admission process. Then, you can access your Moodle account, where you can find your learning modules for the entire session. Moreover, the online nature of the study gives you the flexibility to learn wherever and whenever you can.

Throughout the session, you will be led by a lecturer who is an expert in estate planning. They will share their knowledge and skills from theory and the experiences they have gained. During the session, you have the chance to ask questions and discuss with them regarding the topic. Other than that, you also have the chance to talk with other students in a discussion, improving your understanding.

At the end of the session, there will be an assessment. The purpose is to review your knowledge and skills that you have learned from the study. The test will be in the form of case studies, written assignments, or research-based projects. Once you have passed it, you will receive a certificate from the College of Contract Management. In doing so, go grab this course and enjoy the benefits that the CCM offers!

At the moment, the Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Estate Planning and Disputes course is still waiting for the lecturer’s schedule. When there is an update, the information will be updated through this page. If you need more information regarding this or other courses, the CCM team is happy to help you through email or chat.