If you came to this page to find out what I’ll charge you for a Will or you are considering calling me (or any other attorney) to ask, “How much do you charge for a will?” stop.

It’s not the right question.

The question you need an answer to first is “What do I really need to have in place to ensure me, my family, and money are cared for the way I want?”

Far too many people make their estate planning decisions based on what it’s going to cost. Sometimes, that may be the right criteria. Most of the time it’s not.

The problem is you don’t know what you don’t know.

When you get on the internet to download a cheap will or fill out canned documents from a book or DIY kit from the office supply store, you don’t know what you are actually putting into place or setting in motion.

When tragedy strikes, it’s your family who is left holding the bag.

Failed plans, unnecessary, expensive, totally public probate, multiple probates in different states, even, loss of sovereignty, legal fees for guardianships and conservatorships, being at the mercy of the judicial system.

When you hire me, you aren’t paying for documents. 

You are hiring me for my guidance throughout your lifetime and to be there for your loved ones when you can’t be.

When you hire me, you aren’t renting my time, but my brain and my heart. You are hiring an ally who will help you get your affairs in order, and keep them there across time and changes in the law, tax policies and your life.

When you call me and ask how much for a Will, I can’t give you an answer because I don’t even know if that’s what you need.

Maybe a Will would suffice for your family, but maybe it won’t.  And if I tell you how much a Will costs and then you come into my office and you need so much more, you’ll be angry with me.

So I won’t answer your question.  Because I don’t charge for Wills.  I charge for advice, guidance, counsel and support.  The Will? It’s free.

Our process begins with a Family Wealth Planning Session.  Before this Session, you will receive a package of information with homework for you to complete so you can benefit from the time with me the most.

Whether I ever write a Will (or any other documents) for you or not, I want every interaction of ours to be extremely valuable to you.

To that end, I’ll review the homework you complete before we meet.  And then we’ll invest our time together exploring your life, looking at what would happen to you, your children, your money, and the people you love if anything happens to you.

You will feel heard, cared about, informed, educated, and empowered to make the best decisions for the people and things that matter most in your life.

If, after we spend that time together, it turns out you need a Will (or any other type of legal planning), it will be because we came to that conclusion together.

Then, I will offer you planning packages that will cover the different options for taking care of things the way you want.

I can tell you this – most of our foundational plans range between $1,500 and $8,000.  Your package will be customized to the specific needs of your family.  And you will stay in control the whole time.

How do you choose a lawyer, if not based on price?

Get referrals from your friends and family. When you call the office to inquire about their services, rather than asking what they charge, ask HOW they charge and what makes their office different than others.

See who stands out in your area. Is there a lawyer who is frequently seen around your community? That lawyer means business and is putting their reputation on the line every day. Give them a try.

Search for a local provider on www.personalfamilylawyer.com or www.estateplanning.com. These two websites host some of the best planners in the world.

Get connected. When you find the right lawyer, he or she will be a member of your team for the long term, not for just this one transaction. Your lawyer should be approachable and not only want to be in a long-term relationship with you, but have systems and a team to support that.

Read this report.  I’ve written a report on the common mistakes I see families make when choosing a lawyer for their loved ones.  You can get it for free by contacting me and letting me know you would like a copy.  Read it.

Simply asking, “What do you charge for a Will?” does not get you what you need to know to make a smart and loving decision for your family.

A far more powerful question to begin with is “What do I need to do to make things as easy for my family as possible, if something happens to me?”

Please contact me to find out. 

A recent Economist article says a “perfect storm” of the poor economy of the past few years, resulting in fewer job prospects for college grads and other young adults has more kids than ever living at home well into adulthood. 

I believe it has a lot more to do with the fact that college simply isn’t preparing kids for today’s workforce and little to do with a “poor” economy. A new economy yes. But, it doesn’t seem that poor to me. Anyway, that’ll be a topic for another article.

Regardless of the reason, more than one-third of Americans aged 18-31 still live at home with their parents.  And it’s probably not because the kids just love their parents so much they can’t leave.

If you are one of these parents harboring young-adults who won’t grow up and move out (and you want them to go), here are three tips to either get them contributing to or out of the house: 

Teach your kid to be work-worthy online.  Employers are going online to check out the social networking profiles of many job applicants and if what they see is decidedly unprofessional, they don’t go any further.  Encourage your son or daughter to clean up his/her online presence, deleting party photos and filling those profiles with updated information on their skills and qualifications for real work.

Charge your kid rent or require a work trade.  If your adult child has a job but is still living at home, s/he may be saving for a deposit on his/her own place.  But don’t let that lead you to giving a free ride. 

Charge a nominal rent that will still allow for saving, but will reinforce the idea that there’s no such thing as a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner).  Or, instead of rent, get your kid working around the house doing all the things you no longer want to (or can) do.

Make your kid more attractive to the opposite sex.  Young men who live at home are often considered unmarriageable, according to a sociologist from the University of Texas.  Plus, having mom and dad in the next room can be a relationship killer from the get-go.  Open their eyes to the fact that living at home may be hazardous to his love life.

If you would like to talk to us about ensuring your kids grow up to be great adults, no matter what age they are, call our office today to schedule a time for us to sit down and talk.  Many of these issues are a reflection of a lack of family wealth planning, the practice of how you’ll pass on what really matters.

We normally charge $750 for a Family Wealth Planning Session, but because this planning is so important, I’ve made space for the next two people who mention this article to have a complete planning session at no charge. Call today and mention this article.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor invalidated the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  The Windsor ruling has led to a number of recent federal rule changes from the IRS, Social Security Administration and other agencies that provide new estate planning opportunities for legally married same-sex couples.

Earlier this month, the IRS ruled that legally married same-sex couples would now have the same status as opposite sex married couples for income, estate and gift tax purposes.  This new rule applies to all married same-sex couples no matter where they live, provided they were wed in states that recognize same-sex marriage. 

These rule changes open up a whole new estate planning landscape for married same-sex couples, including:

Portability – a deceased spouse’s unused estate tax exemption may transfer to the surviving spouse’s estate tax exemption.

Marital deductions – ability to make unlimited transfers to each other without incurring federal gift or estate tax, during life or after death.

Gift splitting – spouses can combine their annual gift tax exemptions of $14,000 per year to make a gift to anyone up to $28,000 without incurring a gift tax.

Retirement plan and IRA beneficiary designation – married same-sex spouses can be the sole beneficiary of qualified retirement plans and IRAs; surviving spouse can now take advantage of special rules when it comes to rollovers and delayed distribution of retirement account assets.

Community property – married same-sex spouses living in community property states can retitle assets to get a full step-up in income tax basis following the death of one spouse.

Tax refunds – married same-sex couples may be entitled to income, gift or estate tax refunds for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Life insurance – couples with individual life insurance policies may want to consider changing to survivor policies to maximize death benefits.

If you would like to have a talk about estate planning, call our office today to schedule a time for us to sit down and talk. We normally charge $750 for a Family Wealth Planning Session, but because this planning is so important, I’ve made space for the next two people who mention this article to have a complete planning session at no charge. Contact us today and mention this article.

Three-day weekends like the Labor Day just passed give us all the tiniest snippet of a glimpse into what retirement might be like...i.e., extra time to do what we want.  But to have a fulfilling and enriching retirement, you need to do more than just wait to stumble upon your retirement.  You need to plan!  And we’re not just talking about the financial planning side of things, although that is obviously critical. 

A recent Forbes Next Avenue column, based on author Dave Bernard’s book, I Want to Retire!, provides 10 keys to planning and living your best retirement:

Make the best of it.  Accepting the realities of aging and making the best of whatever life throws in your path is the best mindset to approach your retirement with – and a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.

Take it easy on yourself.  Give yourself permission to make mistakes, because you will.  Don’t feel guilty if you spend some time just doing nothing; instead, enjoy your good fortune at just being retired.

Live your legacy.  The legacy we all want to leave our families is much more than just money or things.  Be – or continue to be – the person you want to be remembered as by your children and grandchildren.

Take a chance.  Approach retirement with a goal of trying something new.  In other words, step our of your comfort zone.  Keep learning; it’s a key to staying young.

Be frugal.  Try to leave below your means, since it is highly likely you will encounter unexpected expenses at some time during your retirement.

Just do it.  Strive for a good balance between relaxation and activity – too much of either doesn’t usually work out too well.

Live in the now.  None of us knows for certain how much time we have; don’t let planning be the enemy of doing.

No regrets.  Make amends, clear the air, and do what is necessary so that you have no regrets that will haunt your retirement years.

Pursue a passion.  When you were working, you likely dreamed of following your passion in some area.  Retirement gives you the opportunity to do that; don’t waste it.

Family first.  Research shows that retirees with a rich family life enjoy their retirement much more, so spend some of that extra time you now have on fostering any neglected relationships and just being there for family and friends.

If you would like to have a talk about retirement planning, call our office today to schedule a time for us to sit down and talk. We normally charge $750 for a Family Wealth Planning Session, but because this planning is so important, I’ve made space for the next two people who mention this article to have a complete planning session at no charge. Call today and mention this article.