This CLE course will introduce attorneys to the preparation of the Federal Estate Tax Return, Form 706. Because of portability, filing this return on the death of the first spouse has become very important. In fact, it might be malpractice not to file this when the first spouse dies, even if the combined estates of both spouses (at the time of the first death) is under the threshold amount for single spouse (currently $5.45 million). In addition to an overview and more detailed explanation of the various sections and schedules on the federal estate tax form, this course will alert you to what documents you need to retrieve and prepare for completing the 706 as well as hints and suggestions and a basic checklist. Even if someone else prepares the estate tax return, the attorney representing the estate’s personal representative should be able to intelligently review a 706 return and spot missing information and common errors.