Our Estate Planning Process
We’ve designed a simple and enjoyable Estate Planning process, making it easy for busy families and professionals to complete their Estate Plan in as little as 4 to 6 weeks.
Stage 1- Learn about Estate Planning
The more you know about estate planning and how it might help you and your family, the better you can articulate your goals. So go ahead and take some time to learn about estate planning on our site. We have plenty of resources, so feel free to look around. Be sure to check out Intro to Estate Planning, Estate Planning 101, & Elements of an Estate Plan. When you’re ready, schedule a free, no commitment, Family Assessment & Strategy Session.
Stage 2- Schedule a Free Family Assessment & Strategy Session
Schedule a Free Estate Planning Family Assessment & Strategy Session so we can discuss your estate planning goals and begin to think about a plan that might work for you. This first meeting is an opportunity to get to know each other and determine if we are a good fit to work together. The session can take place in-office or over the phone, the choice is yours. You can schedule the session online right now using our real-time scheduler. During the session we’ll discuss what it would look like for you, your family, and your estate if something were to happen to you today. If you don’t like what would happen, we can start designing a plan for you right on the spot. Schedule a Family Assessment & Strategy Session now.
Stage 3 - On-boarding, Estate Plan Design & Drafting
If we both decide we are a good fit to work with each other, you’ll be sent our standard engagement agreement for review and electronic signature, along with a deposit invoice (which can be made online with a credit card). Once you’ve completed on-boarding, we’ll send over a fill-able online questionnaire that will help guide us through designing your estate plan. We also typically have another chat to iron out any final design plan details. We then begin drafting your documents, and a few weeks later we’ll send over drafts for your review. If you have any questions or revisions, we work through those issues and finalize all your documents for your Signing Ceremony.
Stage 4 - Signing Ceremony
This is the home stretch. At this stage we have an in-person meeting to explain all of your Estate Planing documents, which are organized in a binder. All of your documents will be signed, and some will be witnessed and notarized. At the end of this meeting you’ll feel a weight lifted off of your shoulders knowing that you accomplished something that helps protect you and your family. Your Estate Plan is complete, and you are given the complete original copy in a binder to take home.
Stage 5 - Ongoing Communication
While our representation ends once we hand off your estate planning documents, we will periodically check in with you to see how things are going. You will receive ongoing updates, tips, and educational resources related to estate and family planning issues. As circumstances change, we encourage everyone to have their estate plan reviewed at least every 3 years to make sure it still accomplishes any estate planning goals. Finally, we will always be here as a resource to answer any questions or issues that might come up for you or your family.