Explaining to you how we’re different requires an explanation of what the “traditional” experience with a lawyer is like. If you’ve worked with a lawyer to prepare estate planning documents in the past, this will sound familiar.

WHAT A TRADITIONAL LAWYER EXPERIENCE IS LIKE

During the traditional experience, you’ll go in and meet with a lawyer who will oftentimes make things seem very complicated and confusing.

You’ll have a good idea that the lawyer is smart and seems to know what they are doing, so you’ll nod and answer questions as if you understand everything. Because you want to do the right thing for your family, you’ll have the lawyer prepare documents for you. And, you’ll sign the documents feeling relieved that you’ve gotten that taken care of.

You’ll take your fancy planning binder home, stick it on a shelf or in a drawer, check estate planning off your to-do list, and never think about it again.

You might remember that your lawyer said something about moving your bank accounts into a trust. So, you’ll go to the bank, forget what exactly you were supposed to do, and call the lawyer to ask.

A few weeks later, you’ll get a bill in the mail for $67.50 for 15 minutes of your lawyer’s time for answering a couple questions. You’ll make a mental note - don’t call the lawyer ever again.

MOST PEOPLE DON”T WANT TO TALK TO THEIR TRADITIONAL LAWYER AGAIN

Several years later, you’ll refinance your house or sell it. You’ll buy a new home. You’ll forget you were supposed to let the lawyer know or make sure you kept the title in the name of your trust.

Your children will get older, making your guardianship choices outdated. But, you don’t want to call your lawyer because you’ll get a bill in the mail two weeks later.

You’ll hear something about a change in tax law, but you figure you’d surely get a letter in the mail from your lawyer if it was something that affected you. So, you don’t worry about it.

And, you’d have to dig through boxes to find your trust documents so you could remember your lawyer’s name and find her contact information. Who has time for that?

It’s not until you become incapacitated or die that family finds the binder you stuck up on a shelf several years before and never looked at again.

It is at that moment when you realize your plan is so outdated that it has nothing to do with your life, your assets, or the law.

Your family is at a loss.

They don’t know where to turn or what to do, so they contact the same lawyer you used to prepare the documents. The lawyer is happy as can be to probate your assets, which never made it into the trust.

HOW DO I KNOW ALL THIS?

Because, not too long ago, it happened to my family. And, I swore it wouldn’t happen to my clients when I created my own firm. Since then, I have seen countless clients come in who have had this exact experience.

Unfortunately, what I discovered is the estate planning industry was not designed to serve growing families who experience lots of change on their way to success. It was designed to serve 70 and 80 year olds who were preparing for death.

OUR FIRM HELPS YOU PREPARE FOR LIFE

What makes our firm different is that we were built with the needs of growing families in mind. We understand you are BUSY, you are growing, and you are planning for a life. You value ease, convenience, and efficiency.

You are raising children or caring for elderly parents while also working hard to build your own nest egg for a lifetime of support.

You want to know you have made the best decisions for your family and that your plan will work when your loved ones need it most. You want to make sure your minor children would be raised by the people you choose and would never be raised by anyone you wouldn’t want. You want to make sure your teens and adult children are properly prepared to care for you and what you leave behind. You want to feel confident that you’ve made the right choices and handled everything so that you aren’t leaving behind a mess when something happens.

This is our focus too.

When have developed unique systems to give you the same access to your own personal Family Lawyer that was previously only available to the super-wealthy so that you can have the guidance you need to build your life. And, with us as your lawyer, you can keep your family out of court and conflict, which is the greatest risk to the people you love and all you have created.

You can leave a legacy of love.

You can do all of this even if you have already worked with a traditional lawyer or created DIY documents online.

OUR TEAM IS HERE FOR YOU

We encourage communication with our clients. In fact, we have thrown out the clocks so you never have to be afraid to call with a quick question. Almost everything we do is billed on a flat-fee basis, agreed to in advance, so there are never any surprises.

You’ll get your questions answered, and if you need to schedule a more in-depth legal or strategic call, we’ll schedule it.

We ensure the most important details of your planning are followed through on and your plan continues to work throughout your lifetime.

We have created unique maintenance programs to keep your plan up-to-date year after year as well as to give you access to our trusted team of legal experts for guidance on any legal or financial matter.

One day, you’ll need a lawyer.

I don’t know why and I don’t know when, but when you do, you’ll be grateful you can call us. And, we’ll be here to advise you.

WE HELP YOU TRANSFER YOUR FAMILY WEALTH

Lastly, we know that your financial wealth is only a small part of your overall Family Wealth.

Your Family Wealth is made up of your assets that are far more valuable than money - your intellectual, spiritual, and human assets. These are the assets most often lost upon incapacity or death.

These assets are what make you who you are and sum up what is most important to you.

A survey of inheritors has revealed that they care even more about inheriting these assets than inheriting your tangible assets.

Most estate plans focus only on the transfer of your financial wealth to the next generation. And, most people have such great intention of passing on these intangible assets, but few people actually get around to it.

How much do you know about your grandparents? Their most prized personal possessions? How they felt about you? What they learned during their lifetime? If you are like most people, you know very little.

That is why we design estate plans that capture and pass these valuable assets to the people you love.

Not only will we help you pass on your money, but we’ll also help you pass on your values, your insights, your stories, and your experiences - the assets your loved ones will care about most.

I can’t go into all the details here, but we’ll definitely talk about it when you come in for your Planning Session.

We look forward to seeing you and caring for your family soon!