CONTACT ME
Contact me by telephone or email to schedule our initial meeting appointment. I am happy to meet with you in the comfort of your own home or office at a time that is convenient for you. I am available during regular business hours, and for early morning, evening and weekend appointments. In addition to setting the appointment, we can discuss any questions you may have about the estate planning process.
ESTATE PLANNING QUESTIONNAIRE
After your appointment is set, I will forward an Estate Planning Questionnaire to you via email or regular mail. This document is not required, but is offered as a tool to assist you in the task of organizing your information. Specific questions will make it easier for you to gather all of the relevant information that is necessary for me to properly draft a comprehensive plan. If possible, I prefer to review your completed questionnaire prior to our meeting in order to properly prepare.
INITIAL MEETING
During our initial meeting, we will spend considerable time discussing your wishes and objectives. My intention is to get to know you and truly understand your family dynamics and future goals. I develop long-term relationships with my clients, and you will have every opportunity to thoughtfully consider different options. You will not be rushed, nor will you be expected to answer every question during our initial meeting. I will work with you to understand the implications of critical decisions affecting your personal, business, tax, and charitable concerns.
A valuable, proactive, and comprehensive estate plan includes documents that not only accurately reflect your intentions for the administration of assets after death, but also the administration and protection of your assets during your lifetime, and your wishes for both healthcare and financial decisions in the event of incapacity.
ESTABLISH THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
I will ask you to sign a Fee Agreement that clearly states the agreed upon terms of our attorney-client relationship. Payment is due upon my completion of your documents, whether or not they are signed.
FEES
I strive to deliver superior client service at a fair and reasonable cost. In my experience, clients prefer to know the cost of legal services up front, and a set fee arrangement is usually preferable. My clients feel comfortable knowing that they can communicate with me thoroughly, and as often as necessary without the anxiety of accruing billable hours. The quote for your estate plan will depend upon several factors; the complexity involved; whether the plan is for an individual or a couple; the anticipated attorney time spent with you, your financial planner, and/or other advisors; and the time it will take to prepare all of your estate planning documents. All anticipated costs, including notary fees are included in the quote.
DRAFTING YOUR ESTATE PLAN DOCUMENTS
After our meeting, I will again thoroughly review your questionnaire responses, all documents you provide to me, and notes from our meeting. I will draft your estate plan and may contact you by telephone with additional questions. You should expect to receive a draft copy of your plan within two weeks. I will include a detailed letter with sufficient information for you to properly review your plan. You may e-mail or call me with any questions or revision requests. I will then forward revised drafts to you reflecting those changes.
SIGNING YOUR COMPLETED ESTATE PLAN
When you are ready to sign your original plan documents, contact me to schedule an appointment. During this appointment we will go over each document, and complete all signing, witnessing and notarization. Your plan will be provided to you in an organized estate planning binder with instructions, and will include all of your original signed documents. I do not store original client signed documents, but will also provide you with an electronic copy of your documents upon your request.