It depends! Estate planning is not one size fits all, so it’s hard for us to give you a quote without knowing more about you. Even if you believe your situation is relatively simple, there are likely nuances you are not considering. We discuss our fees and process at length in the Initial Planning Session after we have counseled you on all your options. We do not discuss our fees outside the Initial Planning Session.

We understand that cost is an important factor in choosing an attorney and that estate planning is a significant investment for many. It is our goal to be as transparent and fair as possible. For that reason, we offer flat fees as opposed to billing by the hour, so you know exactly what your investment will be. We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not happy with our services, we will make it right, or refund your money.

Finally, we will only recommend planning with us if the amount you would save by doing an estate plan is greater than our fee.

Our process is designed to have your estate planning documents signed within 6-8 weeks of your Initial Planning Session. It depends in part on your schedule and how long it takes for you to review your draft documents.

We take on a limited number of clients each month so we can offer a high level of service to each. We work with people who value our advice and are seeking a long-term working relationship. If you are looking for the cheapest attorney you can find, do not want to devote time to learning about and understanding your options, or do not feel comfortable completing the Planning Profile before our session, we are not the right law firm for you, and would be happy to refer you to a lawyer who may be a better fit.

A living trust helps avoid the time, expense, and publicity of probate. Despite these benefits, it is not for everyone, and I present other planning tools that may be right for you during the Initial Planning Session. 

“Probate” comes from the Latin for “a thing proved”. It is the process of proving to the court that your last will and testament is authentic.  Once the court is satisfied that your will is real, it then supervises the person you have chosen to follow your will’s instructions until everything is given away to the right people. This is what is meant by “going through probate”.  If you die without a will, you are “intestate”, and the procedure for distributing everything is called an “administration”. There is no will to prove or follow, so the court supervises your administrator, who must distribute everything according to the state’s laws of intestacy.

Sometimes a will is all you need, but it’s rare that any will is “simple”. Everyone has unique preferences that come to light during the planning process, and we work to accommodate them.

No. This is the biggest myth out there. Estate planning is in no way related to how much money you have, whether you are a married, or whether or not you are a parent.

Estate planning includes directions if you are incapacitated by appointing people to make health care decisions and manage your property. That matters to all of us regardless of wealth status.

Estate planning also puts legal documents in place that ensure your assets will go to the people you want, the way you want, when you are gone. It’s about making this as easy as possible on your loved ones during an otherwise difficult time. And we all care about that, no matter how much (or little) money we have.

A power of attorney lets you appoint someone to manage your property in the event of your incapacity. You will name someone you trust implicitly as your “agent”. They will step into your shoes and pay your bills, file your taxes, manage your business, etc. We include a power of attorney in every estate plan we create.

A health care proxy allows you to appoint someone you trust to manage your medical decisions should you be unable to do so. A living will (not to be confused with a living trust or last will and testament) allows you to make certain medical decisions regarding end-of-life decisions, ahead of time. We include a health care proxy and living will in every estate plan we create.

Yes! I am happy to have a quick, complimentary call before your schedule your Initial Planning Session. We do not discuss fees outside the Initial Planning Session, but I am happy to answer any basic questions you may have.