This first meeting exists to give you clarity. We will learn what matters to you, walk you through the estate planning options that fit your circumstances, and recommend the approach that serves your family best. You are not expected to arrive with decisions already made. Our process is built to work through them with you over the course of several conversations, and this is simply the first.
Clients often expect something closer to an examination, and it is nothing of the kind. What follows is how the meeting unfolds and what you may find worth considering beforehand.
One Thing We Do Ask
Please bring your spouse, partner, or anyone who shares ownership of property or accounts with you. Decisions about jointly held assets require every owner at the table, and their presence is required.
What We Will Cover
• Your goals, and what you want your plan to accomplish for the people you care about
• A general overview of your finances, kept at a high level, so we understand the shape of your estate
• Your family circumstances and the details that shape planning decisions
• The planning options available to you, and how they differ in cost, control, and complexity
• Our recommendation for the approach that fits you best, with clear pricing and timeline
• Answers to every question you bring
Questions You May Already Be Weighing
Answers are not required in advance. These are simply the questions most people have beforehand, and having thought any of them over gives the conversation a running start.
• What you want to happen to your home and your savings
• Who you trust to manage your affairs, and who you want making medical decisions on your behalf
• Who you would want raising your children, if they are still young
• Whether a family member has a disability or relies on benefits your plan should protect
• Whether anything in your family adds complexity, such as a second marriage, a family business, or an estrangement
• Whether you already have planning documents in place, including older ones
If those questions raise more uncertainty than clarity, you are in good company, and that is precisely the reason to sit down with us rather than wait.
Bring any existing estate planning documents if they are close at hand. If they are buried in a filing cabinet somewhere, leave them there for now and we will sort it out together.
Everything else is our job. We look forward to meeting you.
