What Does an Estate Plan Actually Do? Join our free educational webinar and live Q&A to learn more about estate planning

Presented by Cogent Law

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

12:00 – 1:00 PM ET (Presentation + live Q&A)

Virtual Event – Free to Attend

Most adults agree estate planning matters, yet more than half have no estate-planning documents at all, according to a 2026 national survey of 5,000 Americans. Many who do have something rely on a single will, often signed before a marriage, a child, a home, or a business changed the picture. The questions an estate plan answers don't wait for paperwork: who manages your money if you're incapacitated, who speaks for you with doctors, and what happens to your home and accounts. Without a plan, state law answers them for you.

Join Monique Jackson-Fitzgerald, Partner at Cogent Law, for a practical one-hour presentation on what each piece of an estate plan does and how the pieces fit together. The discussion moves deliberately: from what a will does and doesn't control, to when a trust may make sense, to who makes decisions if you can't, how beneficiary designations can override your will, and when an existing plan needs a fresh look. The session closes with a live Q&A to learn more about estate planning. We can answer general questions only; please do not share confidential or case-specific information during the webinar. Questions about your individual situation can be addressed in a separate consultation.

Briefing Agenda

What You Will Learn

What a will controls, and which accounts and decisions it never reaches
How a trust works, and when one may or may not be worth having
Who makes financial and medical decisions if you can't, and how powers of attorney and healthcare directives put that in writing
Why beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance can override what your will says
What state law decides for you when there is no plan in place
When an existing plan should be reviewed, and what business owners need to add to theirs

Audience

Who Should Attend

Homeowners and parents who haven't started an estate plan
Adults whose only document is a will, or whose plan was signed years ago
Anyone who has recently married, divorced, had a child, bought a home, or received an inheritance
Business owners and founders whose company is a major part of their net worth
Adults approaching retirement who want medical and financial decisions settled in advance
Adults helping aging parents understand or update their own plans

Meet the Speaker

Monique Jackson-Fitzgerald

Partner, Cogent Law | Licensed to practice law in California

Monique Jackson-Fitzgerald is a Partner at Cogent Law and is licensed to practice law in California, where she advises individuals, families, and business owners on estate planning, trust planning, wealth preservation, and business succession. She previously founded and ran her own practice focused on estate planning and business transactions, and has authored California MCLE course materials. Her background in legal writing and communications shapes how she explains estate planning: in plain terms, built around the decisions families actually face.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET (Presentation + live Q&A)

Venue: Virtual Event – Zoom

Cost: Free to attend

This webinar is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and attending or asking questions does not create an attorney-client relationship with Cogent Law or its attorneys.

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