Once you have scheduled your initial appointment(called the Legacy Planning Session), we will begin communicating with you about our firm’s process and what you can expect when working with us. The estate planning process for most families involves three meetings with the attorney over a period of about eight weeks. Of course, that timeline may vary depending on the complexity of your estate. Here is a general overview of our process:
Two Weeks Before Your Legacy Planning Session:
We will mail to you a packet containing a confidential Legacy Inventory and Assessment. This worksheet should be completed and returned to our office at least three days before our initial session. Of course, we are available by phone to answer any questions you might have about the worksheet.
The Legacy Planning Session:
Your Legacy Planning Session will be a meeting with the attorney to go over your estate planning goals, your financial situation, and the myriad options available to you. We will discuss your options together and design a customized plan that best serves your family.
After the Legacy Planning Session:
We will immediately began working to draft your estate plan. During this process, we will contact you to verify key information and to obtain any additional information needed. We will then complete your estate planning documents, which will include a colored diagram showing in detail how your plan works.
The Signing Meeting:
When your documents are ready for signature, you will return to our office to fully execute them. If you have not chosen a plan that includes trust funding by our staff, you will leave with detailed instructions about how to fund your trust and keep it up to date. At this point, your family will be protected should anything happen to you.
After the Signing Meeting:
Your documents will be assembled in an easy-to-manage binder that you can take home. We will also keep a copy of all estate planning documents in our records in case they are ever misplaced or destroyed. You will then return to our office to receive your documents binder. At this final meeting, we will also guide you through our “Priceless Conversations” session.
The “Priceless Conversations” Session:
This is one of our favorite parts of the estate planning process. At Legacy Counsel, we want to protect your values, not just your valuables. To properly preserve and share your legacy with your loved ones and future generations, we conduct (at no additional charge) a guided video session with each of our clients, giving them the opportunity to share wisdom, stories, lessons, and values that are gathered over a lifetime. A DVD of the session will be placed in your documents binder before you leave our office.
Your Three-Year Review
All of our estate planning packages include a FREE three-year review session. The purpose of this session is to check in with you and your family on any changes that may have occurred. Marriages, divorces, births, deaths, changes in wealth and property ownership all impact the way an estate plan operates. To keep your estate plan up-to-date with your changing life and changes in Michigan and federal law, you are invited to contact our office to schedule the free three-year review session.
If you have any questions about our firm or our process, or if you would like to set up your first appointment,click here to contact us.
