Planning Process

Step 1. Client Education

The first step in any estate planning project is educating the client. This is typically done during the initial (often free) consultation, but some planners may conduct the initial education in a seminar. Expect that the estate planning attorney will ask you to bring a completed questionnaire to your initial consultation. The questionnaires are usually designed to elicit responses to help guide the attorney in providing the most relevant education to the client. Expect that the attorney will cover at a minimum wills and trusts, documents needed in planning for disability/incapacitation, and probate.

Step 2. Counseling and Design

Sometimes the estate planning issues are such that the attorney can recommend a strategy and gather the information needed to design your plan within the first meeting.