For Professional Advisors

The Estate Planning Team

As an estate planning law firm, we work closely with other professional advisors, including Certified Financial Planner Professionals, Investment Advisors, Financial Consultants, Insurance Professionals, Certified Public Accountants, and Tax Advisors. We believe the team approach provides our clients with the most sophisticated, comprehensive, and effective estate planning possible. To that end, we encourage our clients to invite their Professional Advisors into the estate planning process. Moreover, once involved, we strive to keep you informed and involved at all stages of the estate planning process.

The Process

Step One: The Initial Consultation

We offer all prospective clients a complimentary initial consultation. With the clients' permission, we encourage you to attend this initial consultation as well. If this cannot be arranged, we will seek the clients' permission to discuss their estate planning with you afterward.

During this first meeting, one of our attorneys will spend approximately an hour with your client. After listening to your clients' needs, plans and goals, our attorney will generally make some estate planning recommendations. If the situation is complex, our attorney will ask for a follow-up meeting to present a summary and specific recommendations.

After making the recommendations, our attorney will quote a flat fee for design, drafting and implementation of the plans. Your clients then may choose to engage our firm by signing an engagement letter or they may choose to take some time to reflect before moving ahead.

Step Two: Signing the Documents

Should your clients choose to engage our firm at this point, documents will be drafted. Thereafter, a follow-up meeting to sign documents and begin implementation of the plan will be scheduled ... normally within a week to ten days. Our attorney will thoroughly explain the planning documents to your clients, and to their family members if necessary. Our attorney will also explain the trust funding process and provide comprehensive written funding instructions -- whether your clients choose to engage our firm in this process, or prefer to complete the process themselves, or with your assistance.

Step Three: Follow-Up

We have an extensive follow-up system, which we believe helps build stronger client relationships. Each of our clients will receive a follow-up letter after their plan is complete, a client satisfaction survey, and a continued subscription to our estate planning newsletter. Through the newsletter we attempt to keep our clients informed of changes that could affect their planning, and to help them maintain an awareness of their estate planning goals. In this manner we hope to ensure that our clients' plans are never out-of-date with their current needs and goals. Every two years they will receive a personal letter encouraging them to come in to review their plans and make any necessary changes.

Professional Resources

Professional Education

Please visit our Workshop page for our schedule of various workshops available. While you are there, reserve your space to attend the next workshop, or request educational materials by email.

Client Education

Please visit our Resource Center for an online library of newsletters and articles on issues related to estate planning. We have posted a number of articles suitable for use as hand-outs to your clients. We also list several websites and other information that may be a benefit to you or clients.

Joint Marketing

We are happy to work with you to speak to your clients or prospects on estate planning issues, including LifePlan™ estate planning, charitable giving strategies, generation-skipping and other advanced topics, business succession, or asset protection. Please call the office if you would like to plan a workshop.

The Fax on Estate Planning

Each month we produce a one-page update on estate planning issues, exclusively for professional advisors like yourself. To subscribe to the FAX or email update, simply submit the following form and we will add you to our monthly FAX or email list.