HOW TO GET STARTED
It's Easier Than You Think
Because you love your family, and want to keep them out of Court and out of conflict when something happens to you, you are ready to take the first steps to get a plan in place.
I think that’s a great idea.
You know your family deserves the kind of protection, guidance and love that proper planning will provide for a lifetime. It's important that you know how I work because I may do things a bit differently here than at other law firms.
Your Appointment Options
You have three options for your next step:
You can schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to learn more about me and get a few preliminary questions answer.
You can schedule your Life & Legacy Planning Session and complete the pre-session homework so that you come in prepared to be educated, informed and make empowered decisions for the people you love. *Please schedule this meeting 2-3 weeks into the future to give yourself time to get the "homework" done.
You can schedule your Estate Plan Checkup and Review if you have an existing plan so that you can get educated on whether your existing plan still works for your family or if you have gaps that you must fill to have the peace of mind your family is covered. *Kindly schedule this meeting 2-3 weeks into the future to give yourself time to get the "homework" done & for me to review your existing documents.
How Long Is A Life & Legacy Planning Session?
When you schedule your personal Life & Legacy Planning Session, I block 2 hours on my calendar so I can focus entirely on you and your family during this time.
You will receive several informative emails, as well as a few forms to complete before our time together to help you begin the process of getting your legal and financial life in order. During our meeting together, I will gently guide you to look at what would happen for your loved ones and with your assets if something were to happen to you today. And then, we’ll look at what you want to happen and help you create a roadmap to get that plan in place as easily as possible.
How Much Does a Life & Legacy Planning Session Cost?
The Life & Legacy Planning Session is valued at $750, or if you have existing estate planning documents that you want me to review and potentially incorporate, this meeting is valued at $950.
If during your Planning Session you choose to move forward and engage the firm to help you design a comprehensive plan, your session fee is applied to the legal fee to create or update your estate plan.
If you agree to complete the "pre-session homework" I will waive the planning session fee* and instead you can secure your appointment time with a credit card number to hold your appointment time to the exclusion of others.
*Click here to review the Firm's Cancellation Policy
What to Do Prior to Your Life & Legacy Planning Session
After scheduling your appointment, you will receive your Life & Legacy Inventory & Assessment (your "homework") and other important information that you will want to review prior to your personal Life & Legacy Planning Session. You must have your Life & Legacy Inventory & Assessment completed at least 3 days prior to your Session or we will need to reschedule your Session. Feel free to call the office at any time if you need assistance completing your Assessment or have any questions at all.
If you have existing estate planning documents, please make sure that the firm has your existing documents at least a week before your meeting so that they can be reviewed prior to your meeting.
What to Expect the Day of Your Life & Legacy Planning Session
On the day of your meeting, please expect to spend up to 2 hours at the Life & Legacy Planning Session. The initial meeting has two purposes:
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To identify whether there is a good fit between you and the firm; and...
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To educate you about the law and what would happen if you died with your current (or no) plan in place.
By looking at what would happen under your current plan, you can identify what you would want to have happen differently and then with guidance, make the decisions that are necessary (including choosing your own fee) to give you the peace of mind of knowing your family would be taken care of in the way you want if something happens to you.
Assuming that we determine that there is a good fit AND that you identify specific ways you would want things to happen that are different than what would currently happen, we can design a plan for your family right away.
What Happens Next?
Once we have completed the design of your plan, we will review your assets for the purpose of ensuring that everything you own will be titled for maximum protection. Then we will schedule a meeting for you to sign your planning documents approximately 4-5 weeks later.
I have a process of reviewing your documents with you that makes your plan so easy to understand that you will know for certain that your plan matches exactly the way you want things to happen when something happens to you and that your loved ones will be in excellent hands when the time comes. Once you sign your planning documents, your assets and your family are protected as discussed during your design meeting.
I see these initial meetings as only the beginning of our relationship. You may make changes to your planning documents at no charge for up to 90 days after you sign your documents.
About a month after the signing meeting, we will meet for our final meeting during the planning stage of our relationship-the binder delivery meeting. We verify that all of your asset transfers are moving forward on track whether the firm is taking the lead or you are taking the lead with firm guidance. I review your asset spreadsheet with you and ensure all of your questions are answered. Of course, if they aren't or they become cloudy later on, I will be available to answer your questions at any time in the future. And there's no additional charge for that.
What Happens After I Sign My Estate Planning Documents and Take Them Home?
After the planning phase is complete, the maintenance phase of your plan will begin. At no additional charge, I will review your plan at least every three years and keep you informed about changes in the law and about other issues that affect your family and your wealth. In addition, if you participate in the Family Wealth VIP Membership program, you will have an opportunity to review your plan on an annual basis, and the firm will provide your family with a number of other valuable services.
Finally, I am always here for you and I don't charge you for phone calls, texts, or emails. I welcome your communications!
You'll be amazed at how easy and painless the entire planning process will be for your family.