Jeff R. Hawkins

Jeff R. Hawkins

Jeff-Hawkins
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Lawyer Jeff Hawkins | Top Attorney Estate Planning

Education

BS Business, 1988, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
JD, 1992, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

Bar Admissions

Indiana and United States District Court Northern & Southern Districts of Indiana, 1992; and Illinois, 2012

Memberships

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel : (Fellow, 2011-present)
Trust & Estate Specialty Board : (Past Co-Chair, 2010-13)
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Indiana and Illinois Chapters
Illinois State Bar Association: Business Advice and Financial Planning Section; Elder Law Section; Real Estate Law Section; Trusts and Estates Section; and Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.
Indiana State Bar Association: Probate, Trust, & Real Property Section, (Past Chair, 2009-10); Elder Law Section; Business Law Section; Agricultural Law Section; GP, Solo & Small Firm Section; Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section; Board of Governors (1996-98, 2006-10, and 2012-16); House of Delegates (Past Chair, 2009-10); and Past President (2014-15).
Sullivan County Bar Association
Terre Haute Bar Association

Indiana Specialty Certification

Trust & Estate Specialty Board Certified Indiana Trust & Estate Lawyer

Indiana Legislative Drafting Contributions

2024 S.E.A. 18, P.L. _-2024, Sections 2-6 (Clarification of consequences when an individual member of a single-member LLC dies without making a transfer on death designation or titling the membership in an inter vivos trust); Section 9 (Provides that a claim of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Estate Recovery Unit barred if the Unit does not file a claim in a decedent’s estate within 120 days after the decedent’s death); Section 18 (Clarifications reconciling terms used in the Uniform Power of Attorney Act with the Indiana Power of Attorney Act and examples of signature forms for an attorney-in-fact acting on behalf of a principal); Section 19 (Requires the county auditor to endorse a deed establishing a beneficiary designation under Ind. Code §32-17-14-11); Section 20 (Clarifies and expands Ind. Code §32-17-14-13 with an example of how to convey real property title with a beneficiary designation, the effectiveness of the deed to convey title if the grantee dies before the deed is recorded, and the requirement that the county auditor endorse the deed); Section 21 (Clarifies that an attorney-in-fact may not use a power of attorney to convey a principal’s real property unless the power of attorney authorizes the conveyance); Section 22 (Clarifies the requirements for a county recorder to cross-reference a document presented for recording to a previously recorded document) Section 23 (Prohibits a county auditor from refusing to endorse a deed or other instrument made under the Indiana Transfer on Death Property Act (Ind. Code Chapter 32-17-14)); and Section 24 (Prohibits a county recorder from refusing to record a deed or other instrument made under the Indiana Transfer on Death Property Act (Ind. Code Chapter 32-17-14))
2023 S.E.A. 287, P.L. 38-2023, Section 16 (Clarification of consequences when a settlor revokes a trust without transferring or distributing the trust property)
2022 H.E.A. 1208, P.L.162-2022, Section 23 (Clarification for a power of attorney authenticated by a notary public or signed in the presence of witnesses)
2021 H.E.A. 1056, P.L. 2-2021, (Correction and Revision of Requirements for Recordation of Instruments in County Recorders’ Offices)
2021 H.E.A. 1252, P.L. 184-2021, Sections 1-8, and 10 (Probate Estate and Guardianship Claims, and Tenant Representatives)
2021 H.E.A. 1255, P.L. 185-2021, (Electronic Estate Plan Execution and Recordation)
2020 S.E.A. 50, P.L. 56-2020, Sections 1-6, 15 (Creditor Claims Against Decedents’ Probate and Nonprobate Property; and Passage of Decedents’ Real Estate Title)
2019 S.E.A. 518, P.L. 231-2019, Sections 4-5, 7-8, 10, 13-15, 17, 19, 40-47 (Creditor Claims Against Decedents’ Probate and Nonprobate Property; Passage of Decedents’ Real Estate Title; and Clarifications for Transfer on Death Deeds)
2018 S.E.A. 247, P.L. 163-2018, Sections 1-3, 5-10, 15-25 (Creditor Claims Against Decedents’ Probate and Nonprobate Property)
2017 H.E.A. 1407, P.L. 194-2017, Sections 6-9 and 11-12 (Nomination of Guardian or Custodian)
2016 S.E.A. 371, P.L. 190-2016, Section 1 (Property Tax Deductions)
2015 S.E.A. 355, P.L. 81-2015, Sections 1-2 (Transfer On Death Property Act Revisions), and 16 (Distinction of Nonprobate Asset Transfer from Asset Devolution through a Decedent’s Estate)
2014 S.E.A. 59, P.L. 83-2014, (Guardian’s Petition for Married Incapacitated Person’s Legal Separation, Marriage Dissolution, or Marriage Annulment)
2014 S.E.A. 36, P.L. 51-2014, Sections 1 (Mandatory Disclosure Representations For Notice Waivers and Consents in Estate Proceedings), 3-4 (Clarifications of Small Estate Affidavit Statutes), and 30 (Transfer On Death Property Act Revision)
2013 H.E.A. 1056, P.L. 99-2013, Sections 4 (Statutory Override of FSSA v. Estate of Roy), 6 (Claims Classification in a Decedent’s Estate), and 10 (Matrimonial Trust Legislation Revisions)
2012 H.E.A. 1258, P.L. 149-2012, Sections 1 (Property Tax Deductions), 3-5 (Prohibition of Medicaid Reimbursement Recovery against the Estate of a Medicaid Recipient’s Deceased Spouse), 8 (Claims Classification in a Decedent’s Estate), and 13-16 (Transfer On Death Property Act Revisions)
2012 S.E.A. 156, P.L. 41-2012, (Land Partition Reform Enacting Legislation Counterproposal)
2011 S.E.A. 169, P.L. 36-2011, Sections 1-2 (Transfer On Death Property Act Revisions), 9-16(Clarification of Matrimonial Trust Legislative Intent and Transfer On Death Property Act Corrections)
2010 S.E.A. 65, P.L. 6-2010, Sections 4-5 (Transfer On Death Property Act Corrections), 7 (Mandatory Disclosure Representations For Notice Waivers and Consents in Estate Proceedings), 12 (Court Authorized Estate Planning in a Protected Person’s Guardianship), 18 (Establishment of Matrimonial Trusts with Tenancy by the Entireties Characteristics), 22 (Transfer On Death Property Act Corrections), and 25-35 (Transfer On Death Property Act Revisions)
2009 H.E.A. 1287, P.L. 143-2009, Sections 3-4, 16, 29, 40, 41, 46, and 52 (Transfer On Death Property Act with Related Amendments and Repeals, Co-Authored with Subcommittee Chair and Principal Drafter James W. Martin, and Co-Drafter Suzanne E. Katt)
2008 S.E.A. 78, P.L. 101-2008, Sections 1-3 (Property Tax Deductions)
2007 H.E.A. 1508, P.L. 95-2007, Sections 1-2 (Property Tax Deductions), and 18-19 (Trust Certification and Title Insurance Coverage for Trust-Owned Real Estate)

Legal Publications

Henry’s Indiana Probate Law and Practice, Co-Author with John A. Cremer and Daniel R. Gordon, LexisNexis, 2021

Published Articles

2015 Annual Report of the President of the Indiana State Bar Association, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
LegalZoom, Avvo, Other Companies: Friends or Foes? NCBP Panel Suggests a New View, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Entrepreneurial Leadership, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Partnership – It Can Be Bigger Than You Think, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
TCBAB (Taking Care of Bar Association Business), ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Let’s Celebrate Independence, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Indiana Lawyers, United and Strong, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
I Checked All 3 Boxes on My Online ISBA Membership Renewal, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Problems? Become Part of the Solution!, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
LDA Class 4: Ready for the Baton, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Hilltop Experiences of a Hoosier Lawyer, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Professional Liability Insurance Coverage: Setting the Record Straight, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Indiana Lawyers: A High Standard of Professional Conduct, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Those Were the Days, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
2015 Indiana Civic Health Index, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Forums: How We Communicate Now, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Engaging, Empowering & Launching Young Lawyers, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Building Bridges, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Let’s Keep the State of the Bench and Bar Sound, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Let’s Talk about Lawyer Mental Health, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
A Holiday Wish for Peace and Joy, ISBA Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2014
A Force of One, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2014
What Are We Defending, and from Whom?, Prez Blog, Indiana State Bar Association, 2014
Adapt & Overcome, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2014
Own It, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2014
The Bar Presidency On-Ramp, ABA Life of a Leader Blog, 2014
The Bar Leadership Ride of a Lifetime: How it Began, ABA Life of a Leader Blog, 2014
Indiana Matrimonial Trusts: TBE Plus, Res Gestae, Indiana State Bar Association, 2011

Continuing Education Articles & Presentations

Sign Here – Executing Estate Plan Documents, Author and Co-Presenter with Elizabeth A. Homes and Mary A. Slade, Indiana State Bar Association, 2021
Execution, Recordation, and Creditor Issues in 2020 Real Estate and Other Asset Transfers, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2020
2020 Title Passage & Creditors’ Rights against Decedents’ Assets, Elkhart County Estate Planning Council, 2020
2019 Procedural Changes for Decedents’ Asset Transfers and Creditor Claims, District 10 Pro Bono Project, 2019
Summary of Creditors’ Rights in Estate Recovery – Co-Presenter with John S. Phillip, Indiana State Bar Association, 2019
2019 Indiana Probate Bill: New & Improved Systems to Transfer & Collect Decedents’ Assets, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2019
2019 Procedural Changes for Decedents’ Asset Transfers and Creditor Claims, Indiana State Bar Association, 2019
2019 Procedural Changes for Decedents’ Asset Transfers and Creditor Claims, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2019
Collections Against Decedents’ Estates & Nonprobate Transferees After SEA 247, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2018
Collections Against Decedents’ Estates & Nonprobate Transferees After SEA 247, Indiana State Bar Association, 2018
Trust Issues and Guidelines For Indiana County Auditors, Assessors, and Recorders – Co-Presenter with Jeffrey S. Dible, Indiana County Assessors’ Association, 2017
Tips from the GP Hall of Fame, Indiana State Bar Association, 2016
Planning to Make Long-Term Care Less Critical, Indiana State Bar Association, 2016
Zooming and Rocketing Toward LLLTs and Other Competitive Challenges, Indiana State Bar Association, 2015
Estate Planning After Death of Death Taxes, Ft. Wayne Estate Planning Council, 2014
Farm Family Conflict: Keeping it Together when Everyone is Losing It, Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference, 2014
More Ethics Matters for Elder Law Attorneys – Discussion with Jeff R. Hawkins and Jeffrey S. Dible, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2013
Look Before You Leap, Indiana State Bar Association, 2013
Estate Planning After Death of Death Taxes, Indiana State Bar Association, 2013
Hot Tips in Estate Planning, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2012
Estate Planning After the Death of Death Taxes, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2012
Unification of Two Attorneys’ Practices – Co-Presenter with Jennifer J. Hawkins, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2012
Oil, Gas & CBM – Owning, Sharing & Leasing, Indiana Farm Bureau, 2012
Hot Tips in Estate Planning, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2011
Personal Asset Protection, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2011
Medicaid Perspectives on Asset Ownership & Estate Recovery in Transition, Indiana State Bar Association, 2011
Wealth Transfer Tips, Tricks & Taxes, Indiana State Bar Association, 2011
Indiana Transfer on Death Act, Estate Planning Council of Illiana, 2010
Indiana Transfer on Death Act, Stock Yards Bank: 2010 Estate & Tax Seminar, 2010
Creative Non-Probate Strategies in Long-Term Care Planning, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2010
Indiana Transfer on Death Act, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2010
Multiparty Accounts and Transfer on Death Property Act, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2009
Elder Law Ethics, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2008
2008 Ethics Review, Sullivan County Bar Association, 2008
Guardianship Law, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2008
A Plumber’s Guide to Business Succession Planning, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2007
Law Firm Management, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2007
Guardianship Law, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2007
Elder Law Ethics (Elder Law Institute), Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2004
Elder Law Ethics (Masters Series), Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2003
Debate on Professional Liability Insurance, Indiana State Bar Association, 2003
Estate Planning and Administration Update, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2002
Business Entity Formation, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2002
Estate Planning Update, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2001
Planning Your First Wealth Plan Under $675,000, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2001
If the Recorder’s Records Could Only Speak, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 1997
Probate Administration and Guardianships, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 1995
Estate Planning and Probate Administration, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 1993-94