New Client Tools
A Summary of the Planning Process
The Initial Meeting – The Bonding Process
Our first meeting forms the basis of our relationship. During this time together, we will answer all of your questions concerning our firm, what we do, and the overall planning process.
Even more importantly, it is a time for us to listen, and learn about you. We will ask you about your family and your goals, your values and aspirations, and whether there is any
particular situation that prompted you to come to our office that you would like to address. The more we learn about you, your family and your wishes, the more value we can provide in
assisting you with leaving a lasting legacy.
Prior to the meeting we will ask you to fill out our client worksheet. This worksheet will assist us in making our initial meeting as meaningful as possible. At this point in the process,
we don’t expect you to search for every document or provide every financial detail. Instead, concentrate on whether assets are owned personally, jointly, or in trust. Don’t forget to
include the death benefit for any life insurance and the cash value of any permanent policy.
Client Worksheets
Discussing the Design
In this second meeting we discuss the planning strategy in its entirety and provide you with a summary of the overall plan. The objective of our plan summary is to simplify the discussion
concentrating on an overall understanding of what the plan entails. At this point, we want to make sure that you are comfortable that all of your wishes have been addressed including any
issues left open from our previous meeting. We will also explain the funding process and provide instructions as to what that process involves.
Executing the Plan
We feel that many estate planning attorneys fall short here. Even the most innovative and well drafted plan is ineffective unless properly administered and funded. Therefore in addition to
executing the plan documents, we offer to assist you with funding the plan. In the event you chose to fund the plan without our assistance, we make sure that we have advised you of what is
entailed. In addition, you will receive a free subscription to our estate planning newsletter. Through the newsletter we attempt to keep you informed of changes that could affect your
planning. |
