How it works
From a first call to signed originals in about a month
Six steps, the same for every plan. You'll know the fee at step two and see every page at step four.
- 01
Step 1: A twenty-minute call
Free, by phone or video. I ask about your family and what you own, roughly, and tell you which plan fits and what it costs.
- 02
Step 2: A written fee and a short questionnaire
You get the fee in an engagement letter, and a questionnaire that takes most people an evening.
- 03
Step 3: A meeting to decide
An hour at the office, at home or on video. We go through the hard choices: guardians, trustees, who gets what and when.
- 04
Step 4: The draft, with notes in the margin
A couple of weeks later you get the full draft. Each clause has a note saying what it does. Mark it up and send it back.
- 05
Step 5: The signing
Forty-five minutes with two witnesses and a notary. I bring them; you bring a photo ID.
- 06
Step 6: The summary and the binder
You leave with the signed originals, a binder of copies and one page listing who does what, to hand to your executor.
First calls on video, if that's easier
Plenty of clients start from a laptop at home, or from another state while helping a parent here. Only the signing has to be in person.
Timing, paperwork and who comes along
How long does it take?
About four weeks from the first call to the signing, most of it waiting on you to read the draft. If there's a deadline, like surgery or a move, tell me and we'll go faster.
What should I gather first?
A rough list of what you own and how it's titled, the names of the people you'd choose, and any old will or trust. The questionnaire walks you through it.
Can my adult children come to the meetings?
They can join part of it. I'll always spend some time with you alone, so the plan is clearly yours.
Book the twenty-minute call
It's free and there's nothing to prepare. Write a line about who the plan is for.