Bob Becker: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Fellow for Over 30 Years
Bob Becker has been a longtime member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). We are highlighting his decades of practice and his involvement in ACTEC with some background and Q&A with Bob as he reflects on his experiences.
ACTEC is a national organization of about 2400 lawyers across the country who have years of experience representing families in their trust and estate (T&E) needs. Members are called “Fellow” and are selected for membership by their peers.
Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel are leading members of the T&E profession who have made a substantial contribution to the field. To become a Fellow of the College, one must be nominated by an active Fellow in good standing and then elected by the Board of Regents.
Specifically, in order to become a Fellow of ACTEC, one must:
Have been predominantly in the active practice of Trust and Estate law for at least 10 years or have served primarily as fiduciary counsel with a fiduciary services company for at least 10 years, or a combination thereof;
Have contributed substantially to the field of Trust and Estate law by lecturing, writing, teaching, or being involved in bar activities or in the enactment of significant state or federal Trust and Estate legislation;
Have a well-deserved outstanding reputation in the field of Trusts and Estates;
Be a lawyer to whom the other Fellows in one's jurisdiction would readily refer a matter within one's field of expertise without reservation;
Be licensed to practice in the highest court of any state or jurisdiction of the United States;
Demonstrated exceptional skill in Trust and Estate law.
Q&A:
When were you selected for membership in ACTEC? Do you know who nominated you?
I was elected to membership in ACTEC on April 3, 1990. The organization was known then as the American College of Probate Counsel. We lawyers have done such a good job of helping clients AVOID probate that the name was changed to its current form, i.e. the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
At the time there were three ACTEC Fellows in the Evansville area – my longtime mentor, Bill Foreman; Gene Johnson; and Jim Schwentker. It was actually Jim Schwentker who nominated me for membership, although I am certain that Bill had some involvement. I think he felt it was best for someone in another firm to initiate the process, so typical of Bill.
How has being a Fellow impacted your client service?
ACTEC offers its members a variety of services to broaden and enhance their estate planning skills, from top notch bulletins and printed materials to seminars that are second to none, usually held in enticing locations. I took home a wealth of information from the seminars I attended and have learned much from the printed offerings. Membership has also led to many referrals from ACTEC Fellows in other areas. My ACTEC Directory is my own “go to” source for helping my own clients who have need for legal services in other locations.
What do you think are the most important skills necessary to assist families through the estate planning process?
Knowledge of the law and of the various techniques available for use in estate planning are essential. It is also important to get to know the client and to gain a clear understanding of his or her goals and objectives. Estate planning is not something that most people undertake with great eagerness. Quite often it is something they’ve dreaded, having to deal with their own mortality. Consequently, I think it’s important to make the client feel comfortable to best understand my clients’ goals and objectives, which I will then do my best to implement.
What do you find most satisfying about your practice?
Without question, the most satisfying aspect of my practice over the years has been the number of wonderful people I have had the opportunity to meet and to serve. In some cases, what started out as a strictly attorney-client relationship developed into a close personal friendship. It is what I will miss the most when retirement beckons.