Family Complexity, Life Events & Human Dynamics

Designed for Your Organization

Our Enterprise Solutions team works with you to build the right experience — whether that's a keynote address, a half-day workshop, a multi-session webinar series, or a fully integrated training program. Topics, format, session length, and depth of content are all customizable to align with your audience, your objectives, and your timeline.

Course Topics

Planning for a Second Marriage: Before and After
Second marriages present unique planning challenges that require careful coordination of legal, financial, and family considerations. This program examines pre- and post-marital planning strategies, including prenuptial agreements, titling decisions, beneficiary designations, and tailored marital trust structures. Special attention is given to retirement assets, long-term care, asset protection, and managing blended-family dynamics while avoiding common pitfalls.

Family Dynamics
So much attention is placed on tax planning and investment results, partly because they are quantifiable and thus easier to compare. But the real purpose of the estate plan is to carry out the wishes of the Settlor. Regardless of the fact that few estates owe estate tax anymore, the need for estate planning is critical and emotional and requires a nuanced conversation about qualitative issues.

Dividing Tangible Personal Property
Estate settlement is stressful enough. The loss of a loved one and then the division of the property. When the family gets along, it can be a smooth, therapeutic process, albeit sometimes geographically challenging and potentially time-consuming. When the family does not get along, this can be the worst part of estate settlement. Being stuck in the middle is not fun, nor a good use of time.

Who Should Enroll and Why

Trust Officers and Fiduciaries will gain insight into how family dynamics influence administration challenges, beneficiary relationships, and fiduciary risk. This course helps you anticipate conflict, manage emotionally sensitive situations, and carry out fiduciary responsibilities while balancing legal obligations with thoughtful communication.

Financial Advisors and Wealth Managers will deepen their ability to guide clients through estate planning discussions shaped by life events such as remarriage, aging, incapacity, or family discord. This knowledge supports more effective conversations, stronger client trust, and plans that reflect both financial objectives and family realities.

Estate Planning Attorneys and Legal Professionals will benefit from a focused exploration of how family complexity impacts planning structures, drafting decisions, and administration outcomes. The course highlights practical considerations that help reduce disputes, clarify intent, and address emotional dynamics alongside technical legal solutions.

Aspiring Trust and Wealth Professionals will find this program valuable for developing an early understanding of the human side of estate planning. By gaining exposure to real‑world family issues and decision‑making challenges, participants will be better prepared to support clients and families in fiduciary, advisory, or planning roles.

Course Instructors

Daniel A. Smith, CFP®, CWS®

As a dedicated professional, Daniel Smith believes that everyone deserves sound advice and exceptional service. With his extensive real-world experience, Daniel brings a spirited approach to his instruction, helping advisors put their knowledge into immediate, practical use to better serve their clients. His expertise lies in sales and relationship management skills, which he seamlessly integrates with the complexities of estate planning, estate taxation, charitable giving, and investment management. By doing so, Daniel empowers advisors to effectively guide wealthy clients and their families in achieving their goals.

Before joining Cannon, Daniel spent years as a client-facing advisor in the Wealth Management and Trust business. His 25 years of experience with Cannon have further enriched his knowledge, as he constantly interacts with top financial advisors and wealthy individuals across the globe, incorporating best practices into his teachings.

A sought-after speaker, Daniel frequently presents at financial services firms and conferences worldwide, covering topics such as sales, exceptional service, estate planning, taxation, and industry trends. His insights have been featured in numerous publications, including Trusts & Estates and Registered Rep magazines. As the leader of Cannon Trust School, the largest trust school in the country, Daniel continues to make a significant impact on the industry. His consulting work spans distance-based learning solutions, private family wealth consultation, and expert witness services.

Meagan MacBean, J.D.

Meagan MacBean is a dedicated professional who believes that exceptional service is rooted in a deep understanding of the complexities of estate and trust law. As the founder of The MacBean Law Firm, LLC, she brings extensive experience as both a practicing attorney and a former Trust Officer to her work. Meagan provides a spirited, real-world approach to her instruction, helping advisors translate technical knowledge into immediate, practical solutions for their clients. Her expertise seamlessly integrates the nuances of estate planning, asset protection, and planning for incapacity with the operational realities of trust and estate administration.

Before establishing her own firm, Meagan spent years advising high-net-worth clients on wealth transfer strategies and fiduciary responsibilities. Her professional background is further enriched by her academic contributions; she serves as a Lecturer at Mississippi State University, where she teaches Real Estate Law, International Business Law, and Entrepreneur Law. This dual perspective, balancing private practice with academic instruction, allows her to empower advisors to effectively guide wealthy families in achieving their long-term goals.

A highly credentialed expert, Meagan is an honors graduate of Cannon Financial Institute Trust School and holds a J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Her insights have been featured in publications such as SC Lawyer Magazine, and she is a recognized leader in the field, having been selected for the Mississippi Bar Association’s Leadership Forum and Portico Jackson Magazine’s "Portico 15". Through her work as a guest instructor and her specialized practice in fiduciary litigation and tax preparation, Meagan continues to make a significant impact on the industry.