About ACTEC

We are leaders in Trust & Estate Law
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The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is an organization of trust and estate lawyers and law professors in the United States and around the world. ACTEC’s peer-elected Fellows are at the top of their profession, committed to maintaining excellence in the trust and estate legal field and to continually improving the practice of trust and estate law. ACTEC Fellows are skilled and experienced in the preparation of wills and trusts, estate planning and probate procedure, and administration of trusts and estates of decedents, minors, and incompetents. 

The substantive areas of expertise represented within ACTEC include the preparation of wills and revocable and irrevocable trusts; probate; trust, guardianship and conservatorship administration; transfer taxation planning and administration (including estate, gift, inheritance and generation-skipping taxes); integration of asset protection planning with the aforementioned practice areas; fiduciary income taxation; incapacity planning; elder law; employee benefit planning; donative planning; charitable planning; advising exempt organizations; and probate, trust and protective proceedings litigation. 

Our Mission

ACTEC is committed to improving the trust and estate profession through lifelong learning.

We Are Leaders in Trust &
Estate Law

ACTEC brings together the top lawyers in the profession to maintain excellence in the trust and estate legal field, and to improve the areas of law in which trust and estate lawyers practice.

We Have Resources for the Public, and the Profession

ACTEC Fellows share their expertise through podcasts, publications, commentary, and videos.

We Are Committed to Diversity & Inclusion in our Industry

The Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future video series strives to educate you by discussing issues surrounding racism and offering recommendations to combat inequality. 

ACTEC Leadership

The College is governed by the Board of Regents, consisting of between 39 and 42 members. Members of this body are called Regents. 11 Regents are elected annually by the membership, serving a three-year term. All affairs of the College are conducted by the Regents. The Regents meet twice a year. 

Nine members of the Regents serve as the Executive Committee. There are six officers: President, President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Immediate Past President. Additionally, there are three at-large members of the Executive Committee. Between meetings of the Board of Regents, the Executive Committee conducts the affairs of the College. 

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

ACTEC is dedicated to fostering an environment where individuals from all backgrounds are respected, valued, and provided equal opportunities to excel in trust and estate law. ACTEC demonstrates its commitment to DE&I through the Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future video series, its outreach to law students at HBCUs, and by making public statements denouncing racism. 

Our History

The history of the College began in 1949 and reflects the evolution of trust and estate law, the Uniform Probate Code and U.S. and international tax legislation. Originally named the Probate Attorneys Association in 1961, the name changed to The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).