An Overview of the Estate Planning Process

Whether it is merely the use of Wills and community property agreements, or more sophisticated planning techniques, proper Estate Planning fulfills these basic goals:

Here is what I want to accomplish: I want to be the one in control of my estate as long as I am able. If I ever become unable to manage my estate, I want to be the one who designates the person to manage my estate for me, without court intervention.  Following my death, I want things to be as easy on my loved ones as possible.  I want my estate to pass to the people and organizations that I designate, in the way I want.  I want to avoid conflict over the administration of my estate, and, finally, I want there to be an absolute minimum of estate taxes, delays, court costs and attorney fees possible in the process.

Estate planning, then, is a process that is very personal to each individual, and incorporates the concepts of control, determining who your beneficiaries will be, how they will receive your assets, when they will receive your assets, who will be in charge of that process, and protecting you in the event your are incapacitated.

The Initial Estate Planning Consultation

Whether it is in person, or through our "virtual" estate planning services, we ask that you complete our initial estate planning questionnaire, and bring that questionnaire along with you to your initial consultation.  Your initial estate planning consultation is without obligation, and if you determine not to retain our firm for estate planning services, you will receive no charge for that meeting.  During that meeting, your attorney will be able to review the questionnaire with you, review your existing estate planning documents, listen to your concerns and your goals about your planning, and make recommendations about the options that are available to your for your planning.

If you have a trusted advisor, such as a financial planner, life underwriter or accountant who you would like to have with you during the meeting, we encourage you to bring them.  They may be able to offer insights that would not otherwise come up during the consultation.

Flat Fee Quote

During your consultation, is is our usual practice to quote you a flat fee for estate planning.  While there are services we do provide on an hourly basis, such as business law and guardianships, estate planning is ordinarily charged by flat fee.  That way, you know in advance what the legal fee will be, and you can determine whether or not it is acceptable to you. In this way, there are no surprises when you receive our bill

Completing a Project

Depending upon the project we start, we usually set an appointment to sign your documents at the time you start your plan.  That way, you'll know how long it will take to complete your plan, and we have a deadline for completing the work.  We usually provide drafts of all of your documents prior to signing, so that you can review and have the opportunity to request editing of the documents if you so desire.