I have become quite busy in my estate planning practice.  I am currently booked solid over the next 90 days…it is a great thing for me, but also a limitation of being a solo estate planning attorney.  There is only one of me and I can’t do more than I am able to do as me being myself.  Often that fact can deter people from even calling me to discuss an estate plan or to discuss if I can work with them.  I can see how that can be problematic, but I do have the ability to talk to potential new clients even though my schedule is booked.  While I am booked out three months for in person appointments, I do have times where I am driving between appointments, or have some free time between appointments to call people back who are seeking estate planning services.  I don’t want people to look at my calendar and assume I do not want to help them, or cannot help them because I have a busy schedule.  Instead, I want people to become part of my busy schedule, assuming that works for them.

That is part of the planning ahead that goes into estate planning, knowing that it will take time to get a meeting to discuss an estate plan set up and that it will take time to get an estate plan written and ready to be signed.  I really want to work with people who plan ahead for their estate planning needs, and planning ahead tends to lead to the best results.  I want to help everyone I can, and if we plan ahead in the time frame that works for both you and me, that tends to lead to the best results for you.

 

Yes, it Will Be A While Before We Can Meet in Person, But That Isn’t Bad

Whenever I talk to a potential client on the phone, I let them know that I am scheduling appointments 90 days in the future, and I ask them if that time frame will work for them.  I don’t want to give someone the impression that I am able to do things sooner, as that would only result in disappointment and misunderstandings for potential clients.  I don’t want to disappoint you, I want to work with you to get your estate plan properly written and correctly set up in a way that benefits you the most.  So, I set up the time frame for an initial meeting early on in my phone conversations, so we both know what to expect.

For those who need things done prior to the 90 day time frame, I am probably not the correct attorney to help them.  Sometimes I will have people call who are going into a major surgery in a few weeks, or who are taking an overseas vacation in a couple of months and want to get their estate planning done prior to those events.  As much as I would like to help those people get their estate planning done in their desired time frame, my schedule does not allow me to do so, and I advise those potential clients to seek someone who has sooner availability than I do.  I don’t like sending such people on to other attorneys, as I really would like to help everyone, but I just can’t fit everyone into the limited hours in a working day.

For those who are able to wait until my next available appointment time, I let them know that I will send them an intake worksheet that gathers the information I need to prepare their estate plan.  The intake worksheet asks for information concerning the assets, family structure and situation, who should receive assets, and who should be in charge of carrying out your wishes.  These are vital questions and information that I need to properly set up your estate plan.   Since we are looking at a 90 day lead time until our meeting, that gives plenty of time to fill out the intake worksheet.  I don’t want anyone to rush through the worksheet as the questions of who will receive assets, how that distribution should take place, and who will be in charge are important questions.

I want you to carefully think about the answers before you decide on what you want to do.  Having 90 days to consider what you want, hopefully discussing such things with your spouse, or others who may be involved, helps you to have a better idea of what you want to do, so the 90 day wait benefits you and makes for a better estate plan.

 

Working Towards A Future Appointment Helps the Plan Work Better

As you work through my intake worksheet, you will start to think about who you want to receive assets and how those assets should be distributed.  Should they be distributed all at one, or over time, so that your heirs and beneficiaries don’t spend their inheritance all at once?  Do you want to put your children in charge of distributing assets, or do you want a third party involved, so that children are not fighting with each other?  Are there other complicating factors, like sibling disputes, or estranged children that may need to be considered?  How can you get your estate plan to reflect what you want to have happen and how can the legal structure of the estate plan help your goals and objectives take place after you die?

All of these questions must be considered and thought about in your estate plan, and for those who wait the time to meet with me, they have time to consider all of these questions and to come up with the answers that work best for them.  I want you to tell me what you want to do after considering the questions above and thoughtfully deciding what you want..  You are planning ahead and I am excited that you are doing so.  I want to work with those  who plan ahead.  Having a 90 day wait time to meet gives you the opportunity to think about what you want, so you can give me a better idea of what you envision and that means I can give you a better estate plan!

 

Nothing Rushed Ever Seems To Work Out For The Best, But Your Estate Plan Will Be The Best It Can Be

I have found that anything rushed in life can lead to problems, not just in an estate plan.  A rushed dinner preparation could result in undercooked, or even raw food, and a rushed driver is much more likely to get in a traffic accident.  A rushed plan for a night out can result in an unhappy time for that night, which is kind of the opposite outcome you want for a night out.  A rushed estate plan can result in an estate plan that does not reflect what you really want, or that may have a hidden omission, or error that was not caught due to the rushed nature of the estate plan’s preparation.  You don’t want your estate plan to be rushed.  You want your estate plan to be right.  I want your estate plan to be right.  By working together and working in the time frame I have available, we don’t need to rush, and we can get your estate plan set up right!  To make an appointment and get your estate plan right, click the button below.