Services
Our advisory, consultation, and litigation services are currently available in the following areas of practice:
Estate Planning is for everyone. It ensures that you choose what happens to you in terms of your financial affairs and health care decisions if you become incapacitated. It ensures that your religious and social values, financial assets, and family history are passed on to your descendants or whomever you choose.
What will happen to your children if you are in an accident or die? Where will your children go immediately if the guardians live in another state? Who will know what you wish to happen? Who will make the decisions? We can help you get all of this taken care of in case the unexpected happens and you can’t be there to care for your children.
Trust Administration is the process of administering the estate of an individual who has died with a trust in place. It is a private process as opposed to the administration of a will, which is a public process. What needs to be done? The beneficiaries need to be notified, an inventory of the assets must be conducted; real estate may need to be sold; and other instructions from the trust must be followed.
Probate Administration is the court process of distributing the assets of a deceased person, who did not have a trust. If the person had a will, the assets will be distributed according to the will and if the person did not have a will, the assets will be distributed according to state law. The process of administering the assets includes notifying creditors, making filings with the court including meeting the required deadlines, selling real estate (if necessary), and ensuring that the appropriate persons receive the assets.
A Prenuptial Agreement can be an important part of estate planning. While addressing such an agreement with a future spouse may seem distasteful, in reality it may marriage stronger because many financial issues that other couples contend with are not an issue for a couple with a prenuptial agreement. The agreement can protect the premarital assets of both parties and allows the couple to decide how to divide marital assets.
FAMILY WEALTH PLANNING SESSION
At your Family Wealth Planning Session, we will go over exactly what would happen to you and your family today if something happened to you, and then you will know exactly how to plan around anything that does not sit well about the default plan for your family and your assets. You will submit your family details in advance so that we can hit the ground running at this meeting to answer all of your questions and begin designing your personalized estate plan.
SIGNING CEREMONY
Congratulations, your complete estate plan is ready to be signed! At your Signing Ceremony, we will review each document in your plan, review what it means, and remind you why you made your selections – and we can do this either virtually or in-person. We will also make sure you are ready to get everything signed and notarized. From that point forward, your family and assets are protected. This is a big moment!
BINDER PRESENTATION
During our Binder Delivery Meeting where we present your estate planning originals, we will do three really important things together. We will ensure your assets are titled correctly or if not, we will go over exactly what to do to ensure they are. Then we will review the letters we have prepared for the important people named in your plan, and finally we will discuss how you can keep your plan up to date over time so that it works exactly as designed when needed.
FAMILY WEALTH LEGACY INTERVIEW
Right after we deliver your binder, we will focus on capturing your most valuable assets – your insights, values, stories and experiences. These are the most commonly lost assets of all time, and we want to help you ensure your family has something to remember you by. You’ll record your Legacy Interview with us – the first of many you’re invited to record and add to your online Legacy Library. We capture the unique things that make you, “you,” so they can be preserved and passed on to those you love.
CONTINUOUS LIFETIME SUPPORT
We will be in touch with you on the anniversary date of the signing of your estate plan every single year. Plus, every three years we offer a sit-down meeting together to review your plan and any life changes. If you want to meet more often than that, great! We have a specially designed Family Wealth VIP Membership Program for clients who want white-glove concierge service. No matter what though, we are here always to be a resource for you during your lifetime and beyond as your Personal Family Lawyer.
AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
