Estate Planning

Your Estate Plan consists of the documents you have in place (or don’t have) that control your finances and health care decisions upon incapacity or death.  Your estate plan is the result of what you do and what you don’t do.  These actions or inactions affect your health and welfare and your loved ones’ ability to care for you without court interference or cost.  Your actions or inactions also greatly affect your loved ones’ inheritance upon your death.

Estate Planning Documents:

Yes, you need all of these!

Estate Planning Process – You’ll Know What to Expect From the Start

  1. Request Information by phone or email.
  2. Schedule an appointment (20 minute consultation fee waived, charge after 20 minutes, if Attorney is not retained to complete estate plan).
  3. Initial Consultation – to educate the Client, inform the Attorney, and decide if we want to work together.

3.1. Discuss the facts and circumstances.

3.2. Discuss estate planning options.

3.3. The work will be done flat rate, unless it is very complicated, then it is hourly.

3.4. Client pays retainer to Attorney Trust Account if Client and Attorney both decide to proceed.

3.5. Time schedule is set up.

  1. Client gives Legacy Law Office any additional requested information
  2. Drafts of documents prepared.  At this time the fee is fully earned.
  3. Client Reviews Drafts and requests changes if desired.
  4. Client comes for signing.  Attorney provides witnesses and notary public at no extra charge.  Client will bring a check(s) for the County Recorder if there is real estate.
  5. Client will receive the original documents, a full set of the documents scanned to PDF format, and a full set of copies organized in an Estate Planning Portfolio, along with funding directions.
  6. Legacy Law Office  records real estate deeds.
  7. Client attends the “Funding Your Trust” workshop where the Attorney instructs client on how to fund the rest of the assets into the trust.
  8. Legacy Law Office faxes or emails certificate of trust to any requested financial advisors.
  9. Client funds the rest of the trust. Client can call with questions at no extra charge.

At this point, the estate planning process is completed.  If there are changes in the future, that is a separate job and will cost additional from the flat fee for the original estate plan.