Join

Download Membership Application

Eligibility: New members must meet minimum requirements of their category.
Articles of Association, Section III. Membership

1. Attorneys: Must have practiced law for two years and be a member of the State Bar of California. In addition, must meet one of the
following requirements:
(a) Be designated a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law, and/or Estate Planning, Trust a Probate Law, by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.
(b) Be a member of the Section of Taxation or Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law of the American Bar Association.
(c) Be a member of the Tax Section or Estate Planning Trust and Probate Law Section of the State Bar of California.
(d) Be a member of an equivalent section or committee of the County Bar Association in the County in which they are practicing.

2. Certified Public Accountants: Must have practiced two years and be a member in good standing of their Chapter of the California
Society of Certified Public Accountants or the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

3. Trust Officers - California Licensed Professional Fiduciaries: 
(a) Trust Officers: Must have been active in the Trust field for two years and be an Officer of their Bank or Trust Company or be a Certified Trust Financial Advisor. Individuals who have two years’ experience as a licensed private fiduciary according to (b) below, but less than two years’ experience as a trust officer will qualify.
(b) California Licensed Professional Fiduciaries: Must have a current license in good standing with the Department of Consumer Affairs, have at least two years’ experience as a licensed fiduciary and be a General Member of the Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC). Individuals who have at least two years’ experience as a Trust Officer according to (a) above but less than two years’ experience as a Licensed Professional Fiduciary will qualify as long as they meet the other qualifications in this category.

4. Life Underwriters: Must be a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and/or a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)and a member of
The Society of Financial Service Professionals and a member of The Nation Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)

5. Other Estate Planning Professionals: Qualified persons who do not practice their profession within the first four categories may
be eligible for membership in this category. The Board of Director shall decide whether a person who applies for a membership in this category is sufficiently active in Estate Planning to warrant membership in the Council. The following individuals are deemed to meet these requirements:
(a) Members of the development office of a Charitable or other Non-Profit organization or individuals whose business consists of being charitable gift planning consultants, and who have practiced in the field for a minimum of two years.
(b) Investment advisors who have a minimum of two years of experience and carry either a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Charter Financial Analyst (CFA), or Certified Investment Management Analysts (CIMA) designation and are members of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) or their applicable professional organization.
(c) Individuals who are qualified fiduciaries operating a fiduciary service with at least two years of experience in the field and who are members of the Professional Fiduciary Association of California (PFAC).
(d) Individuals who are in the valuation or appraisal business who hold an American Society of Appraisers (ASA), Certified Valuation Analysis (CVA), Member Appraisal Institute (MAI), or an Accredited Business Valuation (ABV) credential with at least two years of
experience in the field.
(e) Individuals who are either actuary or pension consultants and who have two years of experience and are either Full Service Actuaries (FSA) or Qualified Pension Administrators (QPA) and are members of either the American Academy of Actuaries, American
Society of Pension Actuaries, American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) or Society of Actuaries or are Certified Pension Consultants (CPA).
(f) Individuals who can show that they have at least two years of experience in the Estate, Trust and/or Charitable field and who the
Board, in its discretion, believes would be valuable contributors to the membership.

6. Associate Membership: An individual who has met all other requirements of regular membership but does not have two years’ experience in estate planning is eligible to join as an Associate Member. Membership is subject to board approval. Prospective members must complete the application for membership and provide a resume and two current member references. Associate Members shall not be eligible to vote, sponsor new members, or serve as a Board Officer or Director. Associate Members shall notify the director when the two-year experience requirement has been met, thus transitioning to Regular Membership with full privileges.

Note: Per the Articles of Association – all members are required to attend a minimum of four programs per fiscal year