Our firm is focused on making sure your plan actually works when you need it to, in the way you need it to.
When I started my career in estate planning, I was surprised to discover this brutal reality: many plans don’t actually work when they’re needed.
So, despite the time and money invested in creating an estate plan –families are too often (still) left to deal with the hassle, confusion and expense of probate after their loved one has passed.
Here are just some of the reasons why many estate plans fail …
Not understanding enough about estate planning – Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated, but too often it’s made to seem that way. Consequently, people walk away from the experience feeling overwhelmed and not quite sure how their plan works or how to protect their families after their documents have been signed.
Believing that estate planning is a “one-and-done” type of task – It’s
quite common for people to take their estate plan home, tuck it away in a drawer and rarely – if ever – look at it again.
Forgetting to adjust your plan when your life changes – To be effective, an estate plan has to be like a quality motion picture, rather than a blurry snapshot. Your assets will evolve; your children will grow; laws will change, etc. As a result, your estate plan must change with you. Your estate plan must stay in motion, so to speak.
Fear of being “nickel- and-dimed” – It’s not at all surprising that people are afraid to reach out to their attorney, when they’re afraid of being charged for even the slightest interaction. No one wants to receive a bill for merely calling or emailing their attorney to ask a quick question!
Not enough guidance – The estate planning process is greatly helped along if you receive the necessary support and guidance. Being left all alone, trying to figure out what comes next; or worse, not even knowing there are next steps, is a recipe for disaster. And unfortunately, this is a common practice in the industry.
Choosing a one-size fits all estate plan – Estate plans aren’t like muumuus. One-size does not, in fact, fit all. If your estate plan fails to address your family’s personal circumstances – because you’ve chosen some online service or an attorney who prioritizes quantity of clients over the quality of your estate plan — this often results in your estate plan not reflecting what your family really wants to have happen.
Focusing only on your money – When creating an estate plan, it’s very easy to prioritize only the passing of your assets to your loved ones. But assets dissipate. What then? Will your children’s little resentments of each other fester into deeper conflicts or will you leave them with something concrete that enhances their connection? Will future generations have any idea who you really were; and have an opportunity to create a richer, more brilliant life through the lessons you learned and could have passed down to them?
How does our firm close these gaps and make sure your plan actually works?
We understand you are BUSY, you are growing, you are planning for a life of prosperity and you value ease, convenience and efficiency. You want to know you’ve 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 children would be taken care of in the best way possible and will be prepared to receive your wealth if anything happens to you.
Our fees are fixed and agreed to in advance – At our initial meeting you will choose the level of planning and fee that works best for your family, so there will never be any surprises.
We strongly encourage communication – We welcome communication with our clients! We don’t ever want you to be uncomfortable to call or email with a quick question. We’re here for you to make sure you have a clear understanding of estate planning and how your plan works.
We give complimentary reviews every 3 years – We ensure the most important details of your planning are followed through on and your plan continues to work throughout your lifetime.
We have systems in place to make sure funding is completed -We have a “funding coordinator” to ensure your assets are protected throughout your lifetime and none of your assets will end up going through a long, expensive court process or being lost to the state because they were missed after your death.
Integral approach – Most estate plans are only able to transfer your financial wealth to the next generation. The intangible nature of your much greater wealth has made it difficult to capture and it is most often lost when someone passes. How much do you know about your grandparents values? Their most prized personal possessions? How they felt about you? What they had learned during their lifetime? If you are like most people, you know very little. We’ve developed a tool that allows us to pass on your whole family wealth, including your Intellectual, Spiritual and Human assets.
Call us to schedule a Family Prosperity Planning Session. 925-918-5320.
Before you engage an estate planning lawyer to help you plan for the well‐being of your money, your family and your life, there are questions you need to ask. You need to ensure that the estate plan you put in place will really work when your family needs it and won’t end up just a pile of worthless paper after you are gone.
Don’t just let a set of legal documents become false security that keeps you from doing what’s best for your loved ones. Call us to schedule your Family Prosperity Planning Session.
