Services
YOU HIRE A LAWYER FOR ADVICE, NOT A DOCUMENT
Wills & Trusts
WILL
Written declaration of your wishes; who gets your property and who is in charge
DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS
Instructs your doctors and your family on whether you wish to use life-sustaining treatment (life support).
APPOINTMENT OF AGENT FOR DISPOSITION OF REMAINS
Identifies who will be in charge of handling your funeral arrangements.
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
Financial power of attorney giving someone else the power to make your financial decisions on your behalf.
DECLARATION OF GUARDIAN
Instructs your doctors and your family on whether you wish to use life-sustaining treatment (life support).
MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY/ HIPAA AUTHORIZATION
Designates your choice for who will make your medical decisions should you be unable to make them yourself. Grants access to your medical records for up to 2 years beyond your death.
DECLARATION OF GUARDIAN FOR MINOR CHILD
Names your choice of who will be appointed as guardian should both parents die.
All adults need a will, durable power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and a directive to physicians. Parents also need to name a guardian and trustee for their children until the children are over 18.
Estate planning is more than a fill-in-the-blank form. Our years of study and experience help us identify ways to accomplish your goals that you won’t find on the Internet or any do-it-yourself estate planning kit.
All work is done on a flat fee that is assessed during the consultation based on details presented.
Base rate for estate planning services is $3,500 for an individual and a couple is $5,000 for the basic estate plan analysis and documents.
Costs for revocable, special needs, and irrevocable trusts will be discussed during the planning meeting, and will depend on both the size of the estate and the complexity of the work requested.
Probate
Probate is the process of transferring a person’s property upon his or her death. There are many ways to probate an estate, all made simpler by the existence of a will.
We provide assistance with probate in a variety of ways.
If you answer yes to the following:
- The decedent (person who died) died with a will;
- Had no debt at death except perhaps a mortgage;
- Did not use Medicaid (different from Medicare);
- Has clearly identified gifts and beneficiaries.
Then a muniment of title might be right for you.
- The decedent (person who died) died without a will;
- Owned less than $75,000 (excluding home);
- Has less debt than property;
- Cooperative family;
- Home (if any) will pass to a spouse.
Then a small estate affidavit might be right for your situation.
If the answer to either of the situations was no, then we will discuss traditional probate processes like obtaining letters testamentary or letters of administration in independent or dependent probate administration.
Probate fees are variable based on a variety of details and the proper procedure that is required. The fixed fee will be determined once we gather the necessary details during the consultation appointment.
Base rates, for example
- Muniment of title starts at $3,700 + court costs and filing fees
- Letters Testamentary starts at $5,700 + costs and filing fees
- Small Estate Affidavit starts at $2,500 + costs and filing fees
- Determination of Heirship plus Administration starts at $11,000 + costs and filing fees
- Affidavits of Heirship starts at $2,500 + costs and recording fees
Rush fees are an increase of 30% and are based on availability of the attorney to accommodate a rush matter.
How our clients benefit from fixed fees
We use fixed and flat fees so that clients benefit from clear expectations of what they will pay.
This allows the firm to provide peace of mind and prevent pain and heartache from uncertain bills each month. The client can ask the necessary questions without a timer ticking in the background.