Frequently Asked Questions

Estate planning is the process of arranging for the management and distribution of an individual's assets, properties, and financial affairs during their lifetime and after their death. The primary goals of estate planning include ensuring that one's assets are transferred to the intended beneficiaries, minimizing taxes, providing for the financial well-being of loved ones, and expressing preferences regarding medical treatment and end-of-life decisions. Estate planning involves various legal documents, financial strategies, and considerations tailored to an individual's specific circumstances.

Key components of estate planning include:

Will, Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Advance Healthcare Directives, Beneficiary Designation, Tax Planning, Guardianship Designations and Charitable Giving.

Estate planning is a dynamic process that should be revisited and updated periodically, especially when there are significant life events such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or changes in financial circumstances. Consulting with legal and financial professionals can help ensure that an estate plan is comprehensive, legally sound, and aligned with an individual's goals and values.

Estate planning is important because it helps you ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and that your loved ones are taken care of after you pass away. It can also help minimize taxes and avoid probate.

An estate plan typically includes a will, trust, power of attorney, and healthcare directive. Depending on your situation, other documents such as a living will or a special needs trust may also be necessary.

If you cancel within 24 hours of your appointment, you will be refunded. Unfortunately, we will not issue any refunds for cancellations with less than 24 hours notice.

Two witnesses are required along with a notary for all documents. If you don't have your own witnesses, we will provide them. Also note, the notary can act as one of the two witnesses.

It is not advisable, and both witnesses should be an uninterested 3rd party, however, if a family member is not named in any of the documents, they may act as a witness.

No.  If you know someone who is a notary and they are not named in any of the documents, you may use your own notary service.

The privacy of estate planning documents varies depending on the type of document and jurisdiction. In general:

1. Wills:
   
   • Wills typically become public record when they are filed for probate after the individual passes away.
   • During the probate process, the will is submitted to a court, and it becomes part of the public record.

1. Trusts:
   
   • Unlike wills, trusts are often private documents.
   • Living trusts, in particular, are usually not part of the public record during the creator's lifetime.

1. Power of Attorney and Health Care Directives:
   
   • These documents might become public if they are recorded with the relevant authorities, but in many cases, they remain private.

1. Probate Proceedings:
   
   • The probate process itself is a public proceeding, and documents filed with the court during probate become part of the public record.

1. Beneficiary Designations:
   
   • Some assets, like life insurance policies and retirement accounts, pass directly to beneficiaries outside of probate and are not part of public records.

It's essential to check the laws in your specific jurisdiction, as regulations can vary. Many people choose to use trusts and other planning tools to maintain privacy and avoid the probate process, which can make their wishes more private after they pass away. Consulting with an attorney experienced in estate planning in your area can provide you with specific guidance based on your circumstances and local laws.

You can make a change or amendment to any of your documents at any time.  Just contact us when you're ready to make those changes and we'll draft the updated documents for you to sign.

There will be a charge if you need to make any changes to your documents, but you will not pay full price. The price depends on which document your updating and the amount of changes being made.

Yes.  We will have you sign two copies of each document. You will keep one original and the other original will be sent back to us.

The idea of this platform is to make it convenient for you. If you prefer, we can conduct the consultation via a conference call.

The $350 consultation fee is the Attorney's hourly rate and is a separate fee, so unfortunately it does not go towards the cost of your Estate Planning Documents.

Unfortunately, no.  The documents need to be wet signed and signed in front of a witness and a notary.

Unfortunately, no. Each person is an individual and their death is their own, therefore, each person must have their own Will.