Information for Advisors

Part of our data gathering process to implement a living trust based plan is discovering who our clients advisors, financial planners, life insurance agents and other professionals are, so we can work together with them as a team.  We explain to our clients in our Retainer Agreement that it is important for them to waive their attorney-client privilege as to their advisors if this is something they want to do.  That is critical, as accountants, financial planners, life insurance agents and other professionals may need to be contacted.  We strive to make sure each of our client’s assets are properly titled and their trust is fully funded.

When a new client brings us an existing estate plan to review, it is not uncommon to find estate assets such as homes and bank accounts remain in individual names, sometimes estate planning attorneys send clients on their way with confusing instructions to complete the funding process on their own.  The result is often a probate where one could have been avoided.  A grieving family member never wants to hear about the need for a probate.  For many, the main reason they implemented a estate plan in the first place was to avoid probate.

We make a commitment to our clients to get the funding completed on a timely basis.  My paralegal works with clients to encourage and help them to complete all funding tasks.