This course looks at the ethical issues surrounding client representation in a different way than typically presented. While some attention is given to professional rules, larger ethical questions will be considered, such as getting to the heart of what a client wants, “wants” that may range beyond discrete areas of wills, trusts, and tax. In understanding what a client wants, how does the client see themselves because how we see things makes a very big difference in the ethical analysis of what might be achieved. Finally, what opportunities does a lawyer have when a client has conflicts themselves, for instance, with other family members? Can and should (or not) lawyers assist clients in resolving such issues in conjunction with estate planning.
