Our firm provides a complimentary initial consultation to
qualified families with assets over $2 million.

Preparing for Your Initial Estate Planning Consultation

To determine whether we can be of assistance to you, we ask that you call our office and visit briefly with one of our legal assistants. You will be asked some initial questions regarding your financial and family situation, and if we feel we can be of help, your appointment will then be scheduled.

At the initial meeting you will be asked to bring a list of your assets, along with a copy of your current estate planning documents. It is not necessary to prepare a formal financial statement — a hand-written summary is sufficient.

Expect to receive a reminder phone call from our office the day before your appointment. This is simply to confirm the time and date of the appointment, and to ensure that you are still planning to attend.

What You Can Expect From the Initial Consultation

We will review your existing estate plan and financial situation with you. After engaging in a dialogue of questions and answers to determine your family and financial goals, we will make specific recommendations, and quote you a “fixed legal fee” for the entire estate planning engagement.

To Help You Get Ready for Your Meeting,
You Should Focus on the Three P's of Estate Planning

• #1 – People
  Who are the Important People in your life?
  Beginning with yourself, they also likely include your loved ones: your spouse if you are married, children and grandchildren if you have any, perhaps your parents, siblings or other relatives. Beyond these, however, "Important People" also could include charities, special causes, colleges or universities, or churches to which you are committed. For some, "Important People" could even include pets. Spend some time thinking about the impact others have had on your life. Make a list and jot notes if you like. This is where the planning process truly begins.
• #2 – Property
  By Property we mean your assets in general.
  Make a list of the assets you own or control. At this point, you do not need to identify insurance policy numbers and exact dollar values. Rather, think through your assets in terms of their nature (cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.); their value in thousands of dollars; and your ownership interest. Do you own assets in your name only, in joint tenancy with someone else, or through a trust agreement or some other arrangement? Be sure to include often-overlooked assets like life insurance (the death benefit, not the cash value), business interests, and any inheritance you may expect to receive.
• #3 – Plans
  After identifying the Important People in your life and your Property, the next step is to consider the plans you would make for those people (including yourself) and that Property in the event of your own incapacity or death. Who would you name to make decisions for you if you could no longer do so yourself? Would the same person handle your finances and your personal and health care decisions? Who would care for your minor children? How would you distribute your assets to your heirs? Would you prefer to spare your heirs the cost and hassles of the probate process? Would you like to minimize the impact of estate taxes ... or maximize the impact of a charitable bequest? Is there someone in your family with special needs for whom you would like to provide? Is there someone who perhaps should not receive a great deal of money without some outside oversight?

These are just a few of the issues to consider when approaching the planning process. They are much more important than the "treasure hunt" for legal documents at this stage.