FAQs

Everyone who owns anything should do some planning. It may be nothing more than a simple Will and Powers of Attorney all the way up to sophisticated tax, Charitable and Business planning.

First of all, some small estates may not need a Trust. The two major advantages of a Trust over a Will is that a Will guarantees your family will be in the Probate Court. Further, a Trust can help control your assets if you become unable to manage your affairs. A Will can’t. Avoiding the Probate Court is the main reason most people include a Living Trust in their Estate Planning.

On average about two weeks. It largely depends on how long it takes to gather asset information. The first meeting is education, answering questions and setting out a plan for what you want to do. We then create the documents and send you documents to review, correct and change. When everything is correct we have the second meeting with a notary to sign and notarize the documents. We then walk you thru the “funding” of the Estate Plan.

The first meeting is the opportunity for you to learn about me and for me to learn about you and your family. Many times there are complicated family issues that have to be worked out. Strategies to help accomplish your goals. I suggest a minimum of an Hour and a Half.

Asking to know the fees before we review your estate is like asking “how much is a car?” It depends on the amount of the assets, complexity, and special family issues. I charge a flat fee and not by the hour. You will know exactly what the fee will be during our first meeting. The only extras would be the Notary fees and recording fees.

One of the best compliments I hear from clients, after talking with me is that they now understand why and how Estate Planning works. Sure, I can talk to you using all the lofty legal terms but that does not help you. I can create documents that would take a judge to figure out. I’ve seen that kind of planning.

The document I create are written in English. They have funny words like You and Me and My Children. I guess the current term is “user friendly”. Estate Planning is for your family not for me. Your family has to be able to understand what you wanted and what needs to be done.

Only if you want them to know. Many of my clients want their estate planning kept confidential while some want their families to know. Some ask for a family meeting to go over the planning. There is no legal requirement that your family knows what you have done.

I’ll answer that this way. I have had several clients come to me with documents they did online asking me to review them. I always put the documents aside and just start asking the usual questions about estate planning. Every time the client picks up the online documents and tears them up and asks me to do the documents right.

I’m reminded of a sign I saw years ago in a Shakey’s Pizza Parlor. It said ” Shakey’s has no problem with those who sell their pizzas for less. They know what their pizzas are worth”.

I suggest looking at it if there are changes in your assets or family. If not, then no more than every five years.