Estate Planning

Attorney For Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Advance Directives, Powers of Attorney

What is Estate Planning?

Estate planning is essentially a way for you to legally tell the government, specifically the court system, “I don’t need you” to supervise my medical or financial affairs if I can’t make my own decisions or if I die. I have someone nominated to make my decisions and I have specific directions on how I want those decisions made.

What is estate planning and why do I need it?

Do You have a Will and Trust?

Got Will? Unfortunately, according to AARP, 60% of us haven’t even done a Will yet.

Whether it’s the investment of time or money or the fear factor of talking about death and dying, most people just don’t make the investment to plan ahead and thousands of dollars are wasted in unnecessary court proceedings when they become incapacitated or die.

We Get the emotional side of estate planning. One of our core values is compassion

That’s why we created our proprietary estate planning processes: Family Foundations, Family Wealth and Plan By Design (keep scrolling for details). We keep your investment of time and money matched to your needs and the complexity of your choices. Family Foundations and Family Wealth planning is appropriate for most of our clients and is charged by an all-inclusive fixed fee, quoted by our Client Coordinator up front. Or – do a Strategy Session with one of our estate planning attorneys and start your Education and Plan Design process for a minimal, no-risk fixed fee that is guaranteed to be refunded to you if you don’t feel like you received amazing value. Plus, we keep our meetings light and informal, a heavy portion of compassion and a touch of humor. Contact Us now for your initial consultation with our Client Coordinator.

Can’t I Just Download a Form Online?

Can’t I just download a form online? The problem with this is you will not always know which form applies, what parts need to be added or edited and whether or not it will actually meet legal scrutiny when you need it. Most people, even the ones that use lawyers for estate planning, don’t understand what they are signing and according to Forbes, a lack of understanding is a classic estate planning mistake.

Why not just download forms online for my estate plan?

Understand Your Plan

Your understanding is key to your plan’s ultimate success. We take the time to explain the estate planning “tools in the toolbox” at all of our new and update plan meetings. We draw concepts out on our dry erase board so you visual learners don’t have to just listen to us drone on about abstract concepts. Our goal is for you to be educated about your plan so that you understand what it’s doing for you, and why that particular type of plan was appropriate for you. Contact Us now for a free call with our Client Coordinator to learn which estate planning program is right for you.

When it comes to decisions with consequences this serious, you want to use an expert that has years of experience behind them, is focused on the niche and is actively doing multiple estate plans each week, year in and year out.

Estate Plan FAQs

A will goes into effect only after you die, while a trust takes effect as soon as you create it. A will directs who will receive your property upon your death and appoints a legal representative to carry out your wishes, while a trust can distribute property before death, at death, or afterwards, and is often used to avoid probate.

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives another person, referred to as your financial agent or attorney-in-fact, the ability to deal with your personal financial matters (pay a bill, deposit a check) in case you ever become mentally or physically incapacitated.

An Advance Health Care Directive is a legal document that describes your wishes regarding your body (things you would want to tell a doctor about certain treatment you will / will not accept, life sustaining treatment, funerary arrangements, etc.) and it gives another person, referred to as your medical agent or attorney-in-fact, the ability to deal with your personal medical matters (talk to a health care provider, provide informed consent to treatment, authorize a procedure or prescription) in case you ever become mentally or physically incapacitated.

An estate planning lawyer provides you with the assurance that your wishes are documented in a legally binding way, that someone you trust is responsible to carry out your wishes, and that it will all happen with the least amount of stress and financial burden on your loved ones.

It depends on how old you are and how quickly your life changes. If your wishes change, your assets change or the law changes, you need to review and possibly update your plan.Younger families might review every 3 to 5 years, but older families might need to review annually.

We Do A Lot of estate planning

Our estate planning partners opened 386 estate planning cases in 2022.  

We create almost 400 estate plans every year. That’s over 30 estate plans per month. We have heard it all. We can guide you through a simple and understandable process that makes stewardship for your family easy and accessible. Our estate planning services are based on your needs and the complexity of your choices.

Take a look at our three programs below and then Contact Us to call us to see what program is most appropriate for you and schedule your initial consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney.

If you would like to Learn More about Wills and Trusts, check out our blog article A Will or Trust: Which one is right for you?

FAMILY FOUNDATIONS

  • Lowest Fixed Fee
  • Simple Estates under $3 Million

  • Attorney Plan Design Meeting

  • Confirmation Letter

  • Attorney Confirmation Call

  • Attorney Draft Review/Signing Ceremony Meeting

  • Joint Revocable Living Trust

  • Pour Over Wills

  • Advance Health Care Directives

  • Durable Powers of Attorney

  • Certification of Trust

  • Assignment of Property to Trust

  • 1 Deed Transfer Property to Trust

FAMILY WEALTH

  • Fixed Fee

  • Estates from $3 Million to $5 Million

  • Preliminary Estate Tax Planning

  • Medium Complexity Estates

  • Includes Family Foundations PLUS

  • Additional Attorney Plan Design Meeting

  • Additional Deed, LLC or Stock funded to Trust

  • Secure Estate Document Online Hosting

  • Secure Document Sharing

  • Self Employed / Small Business Owner

  • Blended Family Planning

  • Special Needs Beneficiary Planning

  • Substance Abuse Beneficiary Planning

  • Beneficiary Right to Live in Trust Property Planning

PLAN BY DESIGN

  • Hourly Fees

  • Estates $5 Million and over

  • Estate Tax Planning

  • Complex Estates

  • Includes Family Wealth PLUS

  • Unlimited Attorney Plan Design Meetings

  • Business Succession Planning

  • Communication with CPA / Financial Advisor

  • Assigned Trust Funding Coordinator

  • Trust Funding All Real Property

  • Trust Funding All Business Interests

  • Trust Funding All Beneficiary Designations (IRA, Life Insurance)

Rescue Stories