Preparing for Your Initial Consultation

Congratulations on taking personal responsibility for your Life & Estate Planning and thank you for selecting our firm to assist you. Our Life & Estate Planning Consultation Protocol is a six step process, which is described step-by-step below. Reading through these six steps will acquaint you with our process, our services and the fees associated with your initial consultation.

Our Life & Estate Planning Protocol

Step One: Once your initial consultation is scheduled, you will receive our Confidential Client Questionnaire (hereinafter the "CCQ") either in the US Postal mail or as an email attachment. Alternatively, you may download the CCQ directly from this website via the link below. Note: Be sure to carefully read the CCQ instructions before completing the CCQ.

»  Click on this link to the download our Confidential Client Questionnaire*. Complete the information to the best of your ability and return the document to us by fax or by mail at least one calendar week before your initial consultation.

»  * Note: This download requires Adobe Reader 7.0. You may download the latest version of Reader for free by visiting http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

»  If you have difficulties with this download, please call the office to request a copy of our CCQ via US Postal mail.

Step Two: Please return the CCQ at least one calendar week before your initial consultation. Note: If we do not receive your CCQ at least one calendar week before, then we will call to reschedule your initial consultation.

Step Three: Before your initial consultation, Kyle will thoroughly review the CCQ, focusing his review on your responses to the Primary Life & Estate Planning Issues (see pages 2-3 of the CCQ) and the other information you provide in the CCQ. Accordingly, the more considered your responses and the more detailed the information you provide, the more accurate Kyle's review and preparation for your initial consultation.

Step Four: The first half-hour of your initial consultation is complimentary. During the first half-hour, Kyle will confirm his understanding of your responses to the Primary Life & Estate Planning Issues and the other information you provide in your CCQ, both clarifying and supplementing as needed. At the end of the first half-hour, Kyle will give you his opinion regarding: (1) whether we may be able to assist you with your planning objectives; (2) the planning alternatives Kyle would recommend to meet your objectives; and (3) the fees for the various planning alternatives.

Step Five: After the first half-hour (see Step Four above) of your initial consultation, you may choose to proceed to the second half-hour, which is the design phase. The design phase is not complimentary. The fee for the design phase is $350, since Kyle will be providing specific, personal legal advice unique to your objectives, to include a detailed explanation and diagram of your planning alternatives.

If you choose to retain our services after Kyle's detailed explanation and diagram of your planning alternatives, and sign our Engagement Letter at that time (see Step Six below), then this $350 design fee will be waived.

If you choose not to retain our services, then the $350 design fee will be due and payable at the conclusion of the second half-hour. [Note: If you choose to retain our services in the future, then the $350 design fee will be credited against total planning fees and we will proceed directly to Step Six below.] 

Step Six:  If you choose to retain our services to implement the planning alternative you select, then we would sign an Engagement Letter detailing the services to be provided and the fees. You also would pay one-half (1/2) of the total planning fees to bind the Engagement Letter at that time, and we would schedule a mutually convenient time and date to sign your legal documents. The balance of the fees would be due and payable when the legal documents are signed.

Assuming we have received your completed CCQ at least one calendar week before your initial consultation, expect to receive a courtesy phone call reminder from our office a few days before your initial consultation. If you need to reschedule your appointment, please contact us immediately so that we may open your scheduled initial consultation time and date to our waiting list.

While it would be helpful, there is no need to go on a "treasure hunt" at this point for financial or legal documents, stock certificates or insurance policies. Sometimes we find clients procrastinate in getting their planning done because they cannot locate, or do not have time to locate, all of these documents. In reality, these documents may not be not be needed until you make your planning alternative selection. On the other hand, make sure you spend the time before your initial consultation contemplating the Three P's of Estate Planning described below.

Understanding the Three P's of Estate Planning

#1 -- People
Who are the Important People in your life?
Beginning with yourself, they also likely include your loved ones: your spouse if you are married, children and grandchildren if you have any, perhaps your parents, siblings or other relatives. Beyond these, however, "Important People" also could include charities, special causes, colleges or universities, or churches to which you are committed. For some, "Important People" could even include pets. Spend some time thinking about the impact others have had on your life. Make a list and jot notes if you like. This is where the planning process truly begins.

#2 -- Property
By Property we mean your assets in general.
Make a list of the assets you own or control. At this point, you do not need to identify insurance policy numbers and exact dollar values. Rather think through your assets in terms of their nature (cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.); their value in thousands of dollars; and your ownership interest: Do you own assets in your name only, in joint tenancy with someone else, or through a trust agreement or some other arrangement? Be sure to include often-overlooked assets like life insurance (the death benefit, not the cash value), business interests, and any inheritance you may expect to receive.

#3 -- Plans
After identifying the Important People in your life and your Property, the next step is to consider the plans you would make for those people (including yourself) and that Property in the event of your own incapacity or death.
Who would you name to make decisions for you if you could no longer do so yourself? Would the same person handle your finances and your personal and health care decisions? Who would care for your minor children? How would you distribute your assets to your heirs? Would you prefer to spare your heirs the potential cost and hassles of the probate process? Would you like to minimize the impact of estate taxes ... or maximize the impact of a charitable bequest? Is there someone in your family with special needs for whom you would like to provide? Is there someone who perhaps should not receive a great deal of (or any) money without some outside oversight?

These are just a few of the issues to consider when approaching the planning process. They are much more important than the "treasure hunt" for legal documents at this stage.