Everyone, regardless of wealth or status, has an estate. Your estate encompasses assets and possessions that you call your own and that will need to go somewhere when you die. Establishing a plan is perhaps one of the most basic – and under-exercised – inviolable rights you possess. Generally, you have the freedom to determine absolutely where your “stuff” will go. The process of determining what your assets are and how they will be distributed is called “estate planning.” We strive for our clients to receive a personalized, transparent, and attentive estate planning experience from our entire team. To begin your process, please call our office to schedule a free estate planning consultation at 828-367-7090.
What To Expect From Your Estate Planning Process
At Burt Schain Law Group, clients can expect a streamlined estate planning experience with easy-to-understand pricing and open communication between the attorney, the client, and all office staff. As an estate planning client, our process begins with a free estate planning consultation. During this consultation, our attorney April Burt Schain will discuss with you what your wishes are and what documents would best fit your needs. This can include documents such as a Last Will and Testament, Trust, Power of Attorney, and healthcare directives, among others.
What Does Estate Planning Look Like?
An example of a simple estate planning package would be a Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Health Care Power of Attorney with accompanying HIPAA Release. One flat fee price would cover the expenses of all documents in this package. While this is only one example, April is able to create customized estate planning packages for clients with varying needs, both for individuals and for couples wanting joint estate planning. We are also more than happy to work with clients who already have estate planning documents and are interested in updating or supplementing their existing estate plan. Once a package of documents is agreed upon, you will sign an engagement agreement that outlines your scope of work and formally acknowledges April as your estate planning attorney, along with paying your flat fee. Once your payment is made, we will begin drafting your documents right away. We promise to deliver preliminary drafts within 30 calendar days of receiving payment.
What You Will Pay
We charge a flat fee for estate planning packages (as opposed to an hourly rate), meaning that one price covers the work to draft and finalize your documents, time to meet with the attorney to review and edit your documents, a provided notary and witnesses for the signing of your documents, as well as any additional time for questions or edits to make to your drafts. There is no extra charge for questions, edits, or additional follow-up appointments if necessary – we want to ensure clients feel free to ask as many questions as needed for their documents to be created exactly as they want them to be. Once our attorney discusses your proposed estate plan package and the amount of work estimated to complete your estate planning, April will quote you a flat fee price for the work to be done.
Review Appointment
Once preliminary drafts are delivered to you, your next step is to have a review appointment with April to discuss your drafts, ask questions, clarify information, and make edits together as needed. Once all information has been gathered to complete your drafts, we will schedule you a time to come into our office to execute your documents. We will ensure that we provide you with finalized drafts one week prior to your signing appointment so you can review them once more.
Signing and Post-Signing
During your signing appointment, we will provide a notary along with witnesses for the proper execution of your estate planning documents. You will sign your documents, along with the notary and witnesses, then our office staff will promptly scan your executed documents to provide you with PDF copies along with your physical original documents. You will take home your signed original documents at the end of your appointment. If you executed a Deed or a Durable Power of Attorney, we will record that document with the Register of Deeds and provide you with a PDF of the recorded document. If you executed a Living Will or Health Care Power of Attorney, we will register that document with the North Carolina Secretary of State. Upon receipt, the Secretary of State will mail to you physical wallet cards with concise information and a QR code for easy access to your healthcare directives to provide to healthcare workers or in the event of an emergency.
We’re Here for You
Once you have completed your signing appointment with us, we are still here for you. We are more than happy to assist if you have any questions about your estate plan down the road. For clients creating a Trust, we often recommend scheduling a free follow-up appointment to ensure the proper funding of your Trust. If your life circumstances change and your estate planning documents need to change with them, we completely understand! In the event you would like to update your estate plan in the future, April can meet with you to discuss potential changes to fit your needs. We will only charge a fee if we create new or revised documents for you – there is no charge for questions or discussions.
We Have the Answers
April Burt Schain believes that a solid plan for the end of life should be based on your values solely, and she will provide clear answers to your questions. You may have wondered:
- Who will receive your money and possessions? When? How?
- Do I want to leave a legacy with a favorite charitable organization? How do I do this?
- If I own my own business, what will happen to it?
- Who will take custody of my dependent children and/or provide for family members with special needs?
- If I become disabled, how do I want to be cared for?
- Who will make decisions about my financial and legal affairs should I become incapacitated?
- Who will make health care decisions if I am not able to advocate for myself?
- What sort of funeral or memorial service do I want, and how will this be paid for?
- Who will make sure the terms of my will are carried out successfully?
- How can I minimize the debts, taxes, court costs, and legal fees that my heirs might encounter if I am incapacitated or after I am gone?
We know these aren’t easy questions to explore, and it’s hard to know where to start. Attorney April Burt Schain will help you find the answers that are right for you and your family. Call our office to schedule a free estate planning consultation at 828-367-7090.