Estate Planning Process
Get Your Estate Plan Prepared by our Experienced Maryland and DC Estate Planning Lawyer
Estate Planning Process:
STEP ONE – FREE CONSULTATION
- Call 301-805-5892 to set up a free initial consultation. If married, both spouses should attend.
- Prior to the scheduled appointment, we will e-mail or mail an Introductory Packet containing this Process Outline, an Estate Planning Questionnaire (bring completed Questionnaire to consultation), Estate Planning FAQs, Estate Planning Terms, and an About Us document to familiarize Clients with our firm.
In the consultation, the attorney will:
– Answer any initial Client questions
– Review Client Information Questionnaire
– Get to know Client Estate Planning goals and needs
– Review what estate planning tools would address Client goals and needs
– Recommend a specific Estate Plan that will meet Client goals and needs
– Provide a fee quote based on recommended plan
– Answer any follow-up Client questions
- If Client(s) decide to proceed with Estate Plan, we will then proceed to:
STEP TWO – DESIGN PHASE
- The Design Phase can either be done immediately upon Client’s request to proceed and payment of 50% of the quoted fee, or at a later scheduled consultation in the office or over the phone
- The fiduciaries will be assigned, distribution plans will be determined, and the details of the plan will be obtained
STEP THREE – DRAFTING PHASE
- Attorney drafts the Estate Plan and sends a Summary and draft Estate Plan to the Client(s) for review
- Any changes from the Client(s) are made to Estate Plan
STEP FOUR – SIGNING CEREMONY
- Attorney reviews Estate Plan with Clients, answers any remaining questions
Plan is executed
STEP FIVE – FUNDING PHASE
- Assets are funded according to the plan
STEP SIX – MAINTENANCE PHASE
- Annual review of Estate Plan is conducted and Maintenance Plan services provided, if purchased.
- Maintenance Plan:
– Annual review on anniversary of plan of fiduciary designations, beneficiaries and their distribution provisions, tax planning, Medicaid planning, and disability planning (Summary sent to Client(s))
– Any necessary revisions made to fiduciaries and beneficiary designations
– Funding review (transfer of newly acquired assets based on plan)
– Access to attorney for Client questions throughout the year
