The San Francisco Estate Planning Council’s Bylaws provide for six membership categories:

(1) Accountant

(2) Attorney

(3) Financial Services Provider

(4) Trust Officer

(5) At Large

(6) Academic

For Membership Requirements, Click Here

For definitions of each Membership Category, Click Here

For Attendance Policy, Click Here

Persons interested in applying for membership in the Council must complete a Membership Nomination Form, (for a printable copy in Adobe Acrobat, click on the button below) include a resume or statement of their background, and must be nominated by two existing members of the Council. There may be a waiting list for certain membership categories, so we encourage you to submit your application promptly.

Please contact Al Peguero at 415.498.5000 should you have any questions or if you would like additional information regarding the Council.

Membership Requirements

Estate Planning Activities

In order to be approved for membership in the Council, the applicant's current business activities must be significantly involved in the formulation and/or implementation of estate planning strategies and techniques. A potential new member need not spend a majority (50% or more) of his/her time on such activities.

The sale, disposition, procurement and management of assets, in and of themselves, shall not be considered estate planning strategies and techniques.

This requirement must first be met, regardless of the category of membership being requested by the applicant.

Minimum Years of Experience

The applicant must have a minimum of five (5) years experience in estate planning activities, as defined above.

San Francisco

 In accordance with Article II, Section 2 of the Council’s current Bylaws, all members shall be of good reputation, and, except for academic members, shall be residents of or doing business in the City and County of San Francisco.

BACK

Membership Categories

Once an applicant has been interviewed, the appropriate category of membership must be determined. Shown below are the requirements and/or definitions of each membership category.

Accountants - Must be a licensed CPA in public practice.

At-Large - Members who do not fit into another membership category, but who clearly are engaged in estate planning (as defined above).

Those individuals whose job function is providing investment advisory services and have on-going client relationships which include their being significantly involved in the formulation and/or implementation of estate planning strategies and techniques may be approved for membership in the At Large category.

Those individuals whose job function is providing investment advisory services, whose primary job duties are the procurement of assets and/or portfolio management, and who are not significantly involved in the formulation and/or implementation of estate planning strategies and techniques may not be approved for membership in the At Large category.

Attorneys - Must be an active member of the state Bar of California and actively engaged in the practice of law.

Financial Services Provider - Must be a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) or a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).

Trust Officers - Must be employed by a state or national institution with trust powers in California (i.e. bank or trust company) and must have some interaction with clients.

Academic – Must be teachers or scholars affiliated with accredited local colleges or universities.

Attendance Policy

Any member, who fails to attend any three of the five membership meetings during any fiscal year and has not been excused from absence, shall be deemed to have resigned and his or her membership terminated. Requests to be excused from attending a meeting must be made to the Council office in writing before the meeting or within a reasonable period of time afterwards, and the Board of Directors, by resolution, may determine whether or under what circumstances, such requests will be granted. The Council's fiscal year is July 1 to June 30.

Members may request an excused absence by mailing a letter or sending an email ( ) to the Council office prior to the meeting. Please address the letter to the Board of Directors.

BACK