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Courses/Personal, Property & Family Law/Wills & Estates

Cliff Diving, Estate Edition: Don’t Let Your Clients Go Splat

Avoid the tax cliff and protect your clients' wealth with advanced transfer tax strategies.

Created byNYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
BeginnerUpdated Oct 1, 2026
Cliff Diving, Estate Edition: Don’t Let Your Clients Go Splat

What You'll Learn

check_circleAnalyze the differences between federal and New York State estate tax thresholds and filing requirements.
check_circleApply the mechanics of portability and Q-TIP elections to maximize spousal tax benefits.
check_circleEvaluate the utility of qualified disclaimers and charitable provisions in reducing estate tax liability.
check_circleDistinguish between various grantor trust structures and their impact on estate tax inclusion.

About This Course

This practical program provides a roadmap to federal and New York estate tax planning, covering the basics of the federal system—including Forms 706/709, the marital deduction, QTIPs, and portability—while highlighting key New York differences like the estate tax "cliff," lack of portability, and 3-year gift addback.

The course will also explore real-world strategies to minimize tax exposure and preserve wealth, including lifetime gifting, disclaimer/A-B planning, GRATs, and grantor trust techniques such as SLATs, IDGTs, and ILITs.

Topics Covered:

  • Federal gift and estate tax exemptions
  • New York State estate tax cliff
  • Qualified terminable interest property (Q-TIP) trusts
  • Portability of spousal unused exclusion
  • Qualified disclaimer planning
  • Grantor trust tax provisions
  • Charitable Santa Claus provisions
  • Three-year gift clawback rules

Your Instructors

NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
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The NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers is the largest statewide trial bar in the US with 5,700+ lawyer and judge members. We are committed to protecting, preserving and enhancing the civil justice system. Our highly acclaimed CLE programming features extraordinary presenters covering the most timely and important topics.

Daniel  R. Miller, Esq.
Daniel R. Miller, Esq.

Managing Partner at Miller & Miller Law Group, PLLC

Daniel is the managing partner at Miller & Miller Law Group, PLLC. He graduated cum laude from the University of Delaware and received his Juris Doctorate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. He has been a speaker at CLE events for the New York State Bar Association, Brooklyn Bar Association, and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. Daniel serves as the Chair of the Elder Law Committee for the Brooklyn Bar Association and is a member of the Executive Committee for the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Outside of work, Daniel is kept busy running after his two little daughters and enjoys acting as an armchair quarterback for the New York Jets.

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Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.

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