Last week, my colleague in Oregon, Candice Aiston, published the following blog post and I as read it,I could really relate to Candice’s experience. You see, Candice and I both approach estate planning in similar styles–counseling based, compassionate planning that puts the needs of our clients and their family first. The great thing that I’ve experienced along the way is that if I really take the time to get to know my clients and their families and work with them to design a plan that truly meets their needs and goals, I end up learning a lot myself in the process. And so, with Candice’s permission, I wanted to share her article with my readers:

Things My Clients Taught Me

By Candice Aiston

Every time I get through a client’s estate planning process, I leave having learned something new. I learn what’s important to them and I learn about the characteristics they have that make them so successful in life. Most families that plan with me record a message to their children, and as they talk to their kids, I gain so much insight about what is important to these families. The families are all different when it comes to wealth, religion, political stance, occupations, and interests/hobbies. But they all have a few different things in common that I’ve noticed over the past few years. The characteristics are apparent throughout our entire planning process. Here are a few:

1. It’s all about priorities.

My clients are all very successful, especially in their family lives. I think this is largely due to the fact that they all have their priorities in the right order. At our first meeting, I hear my clients talk about their families. They tell me how they met their partners and they tell me about their kids. Sometimes the meeting is very emotionally charged, because we face worst-case scenarios and talk about their worst fears. They are there because taking care of their family is a priority, even if they were no longer here. Most of them feel that they’ve put off the planning for too long, and that it’s time to finally get it done. The best story I have heard about priorities came from a colleague of mine, whose clients (parents of young children) decided to use their vacation savings to pay for their estate plan. They decided that the planning was so important that a vacation could wait a little longer. (I have to admit, that would be a tough one for me. Luckily, many attorneys out there have various payment plans available.) All of my clients have made it a priority that you take care of your family first. Everything else comes after that.

2. Plan for the worst, expect the best.

Many people put off important things like estate planning, retirement planning, financial planning, and family budgeting because it’s really tough to face these issues. It’s difficult to face worst-case scenarios in your own mind, let alone discuss them openly with your family. It’s even more of a task to find a professional and set up that first appointment. Sure, everyone is busy, but there’s an additional psychological barrier that makes parents want to fly by the seat of their pants when it comes to this stuff. We seem to think that if we don’t think about death and money that the bad things won’t happen. It is very common for people to be superstitious about estate planning in particular. The idea is that if we acknowledge death and make plans for it, then we’ve admitted that the worst is possible. As long as we ignore it, it won’t happen. The truth is that death weighs heavily on all of our minds and actually holds us back from truly being able to expect the best. Once we have gotten through the process of planning for the worst, that weight is lifted and we can focus on the other important things in our lives.

3. Do the best you can for the ones you love.

The clients I have don’t take information for granted. We all have heard people say, “I need a will,” or, “I need to get something in place.” One thing all of my clients have in common is that they came to the first meeting to learn. They didn’t come to the meeting to tell me what they needed; they came to learn what their situation looks like, and to learn about how they can do the best planning to care for their families. They had questions. They wanted all the facts on the table so that they could make decisions that would work best for their families. It’s not about checking something off of your “to do” list or doing something that everyone says you should do; it’s about doing the best you can for the ones you love.

4. Just do it.

No, I didn’t just throw this one in there because so many of my clients work for/with Nike. All of my clients are pretty good at just doing it. They are all able to weigh pros and cons quickly and get things done. Most of my clients are extremely busy people. If they’re anything like me, they’ve probably had to learn to quickly weigh the facts and make important decisions, because they need to get on with their lives! If they know they need the planning, and they feel that they like me and trust me, the decision is a quick one. (Without those factors in place, no one should make a decision to move forward. If your meeting with a professional leaves you feeling more confused than ever, or if you get a gut feeling that you should leave, then do it! You should only work with someone who makes you feel comfortable and confident. No professional is suited to work with everyone.)

5. Find a way to make it work.

You may be surprised to know that many of my clients weren’t able to just write me a check for the full cost of their planning services. Once they learned how badly they needed the planning, they did what they needed to do to make it work, including asking me if there were payment plans available. Like most things in life, once you’ve decided to make something work, there’s little that can deter you. If you feel that you can’t afford the full cost of services up front, ask your attorney about a payment plan.

It’s hard to know how to conclude this post. I’m sure I have a lot more to learn from my clients over time. Maybe they should charge me a fee for all of this wisdom that they bestow upon me.

I came across a very touching story this morning on CNN.com: If I die, Who Will Teach My Daughters?

When a young author is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, he wonders who is going to teach various life lessons to his young daughters as they grow older.

Feiler came up with a extraordinary answer. He would put together a group of men and call them his council of dads. Six men from different stages of Feiler’s life who could be Feiler’s voice, and could teach his girls the life lessons he might not be there to teach.

The article is well worth a read and includes a 5-step outline of how to form your own council of moms or dads.

For related ideas on the subject, check out my prior post on Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture.

The Truth About Estate Planning

Asset Protection Workshop

Tuesday, June 22nd

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Discover why most wills and trusts don’t work and what you can do about it.

Is this workshop for you?

This workshop is designed for those…

• Who don’t know where to start
• Interested in protecting their family’s wealth from being siphoned off by creditors, divorce, or taxes
• Who have seen loved ones or friends pass away, leaving a mess and added stress and frustration to those left behind
• Who want to hear about a proven process that will bring true peace of mind
• Who already has a will or trust, but has doubts as to whether it’s the best plan for their family

This workshop will be especially helpful to:

• Those with a will or trust over three years old or that have recently moved here from another state
• Those in a second marriage
• Business owners
• Anyone nearing retirement
• Those wondering if their parents or grandparents have planned effectively

What you will hear at the Truth About Estate Planning workshop…

• How to transfer your financial wealth and “life wisdom” to future generations
• What to consider before meeting and selecting an estate planning attorney
• Why most living trusts do not work and how to assure your trust meets your goals
• How to leave assets to your loved ones protected against divorces and creditors
• How a second marriage puts your assets at risk, even if you live “’til death do us part”
• Probate–why does everyone want to avoid it?
• The hidden costs of a basic will or trust
• Why are many powers of attorney not accepted by financial institutions?
• What is the impact of changing estate tax laws?
• What is trust funding and why it is essential to the success of your living trust
• Why you should have professional counseling on how to fund your living trust
• The estate planning process–who do you meet with and how do you prepare?
• Counseling vs. word processing–what are you really paying for?
• How to make life easier on your loved ones in troubling times
• Do your children know what to do?
• How often should you update your estate plan?
• What is the real cost of an outdated estate plan?

Reservations required. Register now!

In case you missed the most recent issue, Jackie Bedard was honored to write a Financial Focus piece for the current issue of Cary Living magazine. To read the 4 Secrets Loving Parents Need to Know to Protect Their Kids, click on the image below.

*Note: Depending on your web browser, after opening the image, you may need to click on it again to magnify the image to read it.

This article was originally included in our email newsletter on May 13, 2010.  It may have been edited somewhat from the version that was originally emailed, so be sure to sign up so you get the newsletter hot off the press!

It’s finally here! Your son or daughter has finished with exams, sold a final round of textbooks, and is donning a cap and gown to walk across the stage to get that college degree. You should be very proud. After all, they’ve put in a lot of hard work and patience to get there, and you have put in a lot of hard work, patience, advice, and support as well.

But you know your job’s not over. Chances are, your kids will still need some help and advice after college. This is particularly true in the area of personal finance. Let’s face it: the real world looks a little different than the green grass and stone pillars of campus, with its dormitories and dining halls and credit hours and semesters. People can pick up a lot of bad financial habits during college and in the couple years that follow. Sometimes these habits cause mistakes that take years to fix.

To help avoid these mistakes, I’ve put together a few life lessons the commencement speaker might not have covered. Some are lessons I had already figured out by graduation. Some were passed to me later as advice. And, unfortunately, some have been learned the hard way. I hope they help you get the conversation started with your kids.

Lesson number 1: Your Words and Deeds Will Come Back to You
Ah, Facebook. Remember that rant about that rival college and their football team? Those pictures from that all-night party? (And the after-party?) Hopefully you’ve kept your nose clean on this one, because a recent careerbuilder.com survey reveals that 45 percent of employers use social networking sites to screen applicants. So before submitting your resume, take a look at your Facebook privacy settings and clean up anything you might be embarrassed to show a potential boss. You might even go a little goody-two-shoes and join a couple networks that responsible adults would be part of. You can find some more details here.

Lesson number 2: You Need a Job
As an adult, you will be expected to pay for things you may not be used to paying for: food, housing, transportation. These expenses will require some source of income. Note that your degree does not entitle you to an income–it might not even get you a job. But you need to find a way to cover basic expenses before enjoying any extras.

Here’s how you can afford some of those extras: Negotiate your salary. Here’s an article from the Washington Post to get you started. Google “negotiating salary” for hordes more. Do some research, and find out what a job pays for someone with your skills. Don’t take a job you know you will hate, just because it pays more. It will encourage you to spend more, which will keep you on track for a career you hate.

Lesson number 3: You Need a Budget
Your expenses need to be in-line with your income. For the sake of your wallet and your health, you shouldn’t eat out every night. You probably won’t be able to afford living arrangements as nice as the house you grew up in, right off the bat. And you need to consider a reliable, probably even used, car to start.

In addition to food, housing, and transportation, you will need insurance. Health insurance. Car insurance. Possibly even life insurance (to pay off jointly-owned debt, for example). Shop around, and compare prices.

Your employer will most likely not be checking for brand names on your clothing. And the size of your television and stereo should not exceed a reasonable portion of your living space.

Regarding investing: fund your retirement account first–the money you put in now will make twice as much as the money you put in ten years from now. Don’t invest all your retirement savings in your first employer’s success. And anyone who advertises their investment in late-night infomercials isn’t making money off that investment, they’re making it off their investors.

Lesson number 4: You Need to Take Care of Yourself
You need to maintain your health. Remember that broken bones cost money now. Don’t drive stupid. Don’t live too hard. Get to know your doctor when you’re healthy (that is, get a physical), so you will know who to call when you’re sick.

Protect your reputation. Remember that Facebook lesson? And don’t mix money with friendship. That means don’t cosign on loans with your buddies or boyfriends or whomever. It’s a good way to ruin a friendship and a great way to ruin your credit history.

Okay. Those are the basics. I know on the surface it seems like a bunch of don’ts. But I also remember that when I was a kid, I was always arguing with my parents for control of my own life. They may not know it yet, but your children have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. These fundamental lessons can help set them up for success and independence.

Next time we’ll delve a little deeper into the question, “You want to buy WHAT?!” and offer up some tips to help your new grad shop responsibly.

The Truth About Estate Planning

Presented January 26, 2010 and February 23, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Hope Community Church

821 Buck Jones Road

Raleigh, NC 27606

(Click here for map)

Reservations Required

(Limited Seating!)

Go to: www.TAEPworkshop.com or call 919.443.3035 to reserve your seat.

Join attorney Jackie Bedard at a FREE workshop to learn:

• How to transfer your financial wealth and “life wisdom” to future generations?

• What to consider before meeting and selecting an estate planning attorney?

• Why most living trusts do not work and how to assure your trust meets your goals?

• How to leave assets to your loved ones protected against divorces and creditors?

• How legal fees are determined and strategies to reduce your overall costs by 50%?

• Probate—what is it, why does everyone want to avoid it?

• What is the real cost of Probate?

• Why are many Powers of Attorney not accepted by financial institutions?

• What is Trust Funding and why is it essential to the success of my living trust?

• Why should I have professional counseling on how to fund my living trust?

• The Estate Planning Process—who do you meet with and how to prepare?

• What is the impact of changing estate tax laws?

• Counseling vs. Word Processing—what are you really paying for?

• How to make life easier on your loved ones in troubling times?

• Do your children know what to do at the right time?

• How to store legal documents so they are accessible when needed?

• How often should I update my estate plan?

• What is the real cost of an outdated estate plan?

Go to: www.TAEPworkshop.com or call 919.443.3035 to reserve your seat.

Guest post:  It’s my pleasure to share this guest post from Danielle B. Mayoras, co-author of Trials and Heirs and Andrew Mayoras, co-author of Trials and Heirs and author of The Probate Lawyer Blog.

Danielle B. Mayoras

Across the country in December, families will be coming together for the holidays.  Sometimes the holidays are one of the few times of year that family members see each other. They eat, share stories, and laugh together. Of course, there may be a few family squabbles, but hopefully no mash-potato flinging. Or will there be? Overall, the holidays are rare opportunities for family members to have face-to-face conversations. One critical conversation is talking about estate planning — what happens legally when a loved one passes away.

As confirmed by the Washington Post this week, the stories in Trial & Heirs:  Famous Fortune Fights! are great conversation starters. Of course you could buy the book, but here are some free tips you can use right away.

What questions will these tips help you answer?

What will happen once mom and dad pass away?

Have they done their will or trust?  Is it updated?  Where is it?

What professionals do they work with?

Where are the documents located?

The celebrity stories in “Trial & Heirs:  Famous Fortune Fights!” can help you translate the estate planning talk into a fun and entertaining discussion. Really! Here are some easy-to-use tips and conversation starters taken from the stories in the book.

Tip #1 — Bring the celebrities home for the holidays.

If your family member (mom, dad, sister, aunt, grandma) is reluctant to talk about wills and trusts, begin by sharing some stories about celebrity estate planning.  Start with a story about Ray Charles.  He sat his entire family down (which included 12 kids from 9 different mothers!) and discussed what he planned for his estate after his passing.  Encourage your loved ones to talk to each other like Ray Charles.  Turn the uncomfortable topic of wills and trusts into something entertaining!

Tip # 2 — Find out if your loved ones have done their estate planning.

So now you’ve begun the conversation with your family by describing what Ray Charles did, the next question is:  did your loved ones prepare a will or trust yet?  Find out!  Whether we’re 20 or 92 years old, no one is promised tomorrow.  Share the case of Sonny Bono.  He was 62 years old when he unexpectedly passed away in a skiing accident.  Sonny did not have a will or a trust!  His widow endured lots of complications because of Sonny’s lack of planning.  So if your loved ones haven’t done their estate planning, encourage them to make sure to do so.

Tip #3 — Confirm that they have finished what they started.

Maybe you’ve gotten through the first two hurdles, and your family members say, “don’t worry…we’ve taken care of everything”.  Are they sure that they dotted their “i”s and crossed their “t”s?  Share the stories of Heath Ledger who failed to update his will after his daughter was born, and Michael Jackson who caused his family unnecessary trips to the courthouse because he did not properly “fund” his trust. If your loved ones have a will or trust, has it been updated in the recently?  Have they transferred their assets into their trust?  It’s not enough to just “do” the documents, they need to be done the right way and updated with new laws and life changes.

Tip #4 — Verify that the attorney is a specialist.

“Yes,” your loved ones respond, “we just saw our attorney and updated everything.”  Okay… now we’re getting somewhere, but that doesn’t end the conversation.  Does their attorney specialize in estate planning?  If not, going to the attorney to update the documents may not be enough.  Does the attorney use “one size fits all” forms, or customize the documents to your loved one’s needs?  Share the tips on how to make sure that you have a good attorney from “Trial & Heirs” to give your family peace of mind.  Also, make sure that you have the name of the attorney and other professionals in the event that your loved ones unexpectedly pass away.

Tip #5 — Establish the location of the documents.

You’ve almost conquered the list!  You’ve gotten through the first four tips, but where in the world are the documents located?  Your loved ones have done their documents, updated them, and worked with a specialist, but that doesn’t do the family any good if you cannot find them!  Share the story of Florence Griffith Joyner aka Flo-Jo.  Her original estate planning documents were never located and as a result it cost her family a lot of time, money, grief and uncertainty.  Make sure that your loved ones tell you where those critical documents are located and that the trustee or executor can access them.  There’s no point in hiding the will or trust so well that no one can find them or worse, putting them in a safe deposit box that no one can get into!

Alright, the holidays are around the corner and now you’re armed with some tips on the conversation that you really need to have with your family this holiday season.  Remember “Trial & Heirs:  Famous Fortune Fights!” has these stories to start the conversation and so many more!  For more information, sign up for a free preview of the book here.

Written by:  Danielle B. Mayoras, co-author of “Trial & Heirs:  Famous Fortune Fights!” and co-founder and shareholder of The Center for Elder Law, dedicated her legal career to teaching professionals, businesses and the general public about elder law, special needs planning , and general estate planning.  Danielle is a renowned attorney and Credentialed Professional Gerontologist, educating through speaking engagements, print, and broadcast media across the United States.

As the holidays approach, I’d like to encourage everyone to take a few minutes to discuss your family’s philanthropic goals.  The holidays are a great time to start a new family tradition and to discuss the values important to each member of your family while sharing stories of how your parents, grandparents and other family members came together to help others in need.  By combining efforts, families can create opportunities for family giving that go beyond mere financial donations.  To help your family begin the process of creating a family giving plan, we’ve posted a downloadable Charitable Gift Multiplier Guide on our website.  Simply go to: www.CharitableGiftGuide.com and download the free Guide and we’ll help your family walk through the process of multiplying your impact with truly inspired giving.

Before hiring a wills & trusts lawyer to guide you, your family or your business, ask these questions to ensure that you don’t end up paying a whole lot of money for services that are not what you need, expect or want. Hiring an attorney does not have to be a fearful experience. Instead, it can be the most empowered decision you ever make for yourself.

1.  What will happen during an initial meeting with your office and how much will it cost?

When you begin to consider getting your legal and financial affairs in order, the first thing to do is call the offices of lawyers who you will meet with to handle your planning.

This is a great opportunity for a first level screening to find the right lawyer for you, your family and your business. Pay attention to how the phones are answered by the office team. You want to find a lawyer who has a live person answering the phones who can answer quick questions for you when you are a client.

When you do talk with someone on the phone, be sure to ask what will happen at the initial meeting and whether there will be a charge for the meeting.

Look for an educational initial meeting. Ideally, the purpose of the first meeting with your lawyer is not just to get to know him or her, but to provide you with specific guidance and information that will benefit you, your family and your business.

You want to leave this meeting with a clear action plan for what your next steps are to ensure your financial and legal affairs and business are set up the best possible way for your family.

Now, it may be that you have to pay for this guidance so don’t be afraid to do that because it can be a hugely valuable education. The key is, you want to know what the cost is going to be upfront so there are no surprises.

Don’t expect to get valuable information that will help your family during a free initial consultation. When a lawyer routinely gives away their time for a free initial consultation it’s not to give you an education, it’s so you can meet the lawyer and decide whether you want to work with him or her. Don’t expect free legal guidance.

2.  Are all of your fees flat fees? What is included in the flat fee? What is NOT included in the flat fee.

You want to be sure that you avoid a nasty surprise down the road. Some attorneys will indicate that they use flat fees, but then may tack on additional charges such a photocopying, telephone, courier, postage, recording fees and other expenses.  While it may be reasonable in some instances to add on such fees, you want to make sure that you set the proper expectations up front so you don’t end up with a surprise bill in the mail.

3.  Does my planning fee include a regular review of my legal documents? What if I want to make changes later? What about on-going work after completion of my initial plan?

Far too often today, families put in place legal documents and think “great, that’s done”, now I don’t have to think about that anymore. Then, the end of their life comes or a crisis pops up and their family finds out that the documents are out of date and the assets aren’t owned properly anyway. Then, the plan fails. Or, business owners set up an entity to shield their personal assets from their business, but then fail to operate the business properly and keep their entity in compliance. Then, the business plan fails.

I blame these failures on lawyers who don’t set the right expectations for their clients.

The truth of the matter is, with estate planning, you can’t set it and forget it. Your wills and trusts and your business documents are living documents that need to be reviewed and updated throughout your personal or business life. And you want to find a lawyer who will keep everything up to date for you, review your documents regularly, and offer a program to provide you with continuing guidance on an ongoing basis without hourly fees.

Look for a lawyer who has a membership program or ongoing service program so you can reach out to your lawyer on an ongoing basis for legal, financial and business consultation without worrying about being nickled and dimed. Oh, and be sure your lawyer isn’t going to charge you for photocopies and faxes!

4.  Do you make sure my assets are titled in the right way and my business stays in compliance?

You can have the best business structure and the best legal plan set up for your family, but if your assets are not titled and structured properly and if your business does not stay in compliance, it’s all a false sense of security because when push comes to shove and a crisis happens, those legal documents won’t work.

Make absolutely sure that the lawyer you are working with is not only going to put legal documents in place for you, but is also going to finish the job by ensuring your assets are structured properly and your business stays in full compliance.

5.  Can you help me make smart choices about things like buying insurance, saving for college, and retirement planning?

Your personal lawyer can and should help you make decisions not only about things like legal documents, but also about things like buying insurance, saving for college, planning for retirement and all the other challenging decisions that will come up along the way of your life and your business. Your business lawyer should be keeping you informed about things like hiring and firing, trademarking and copyrighting, and growing your business.

This doesn’t mean your lawyer needs to be licensed to sell insurance or financial products or practice employment law or intellectual property, just that they have a big enough breadth of experience and knowledge and access to the appropriate resources that they can be a trusted advisor to you on these issues helping you avoid expensive mistakes.

6.  Do you have a process for helping me capture and pass on my intangible wealth, such as my intellectual, spiritual and human assets or who I am and what’s important to me or do you primarily focus on financial assets?

There’s a movement happening in the world in which we are finally beginning to realize that our wealth is far greater than the sum total of the dollars in our bank, brokerage and retirement accounts. In fact, many of us are becoming aware that our intangible assets are much more valuable.

When you are working with a personal lawyer, be sure to find a lawyer who will help you to capture, document and pass on not just your financial assets, but ALL of your assets, including the most often overlooked intangible assets, like who you are and what’s important to you.

Your lawyer should have in place an actual process so that when your planning is complete, you have created either written or recorded messages to your loved ones that pass on your values, stories, insights and experience.

7.  How are you able to be responsive to my needs on an ongoing basis?

One of the biggest complaints people have about working with a lawyer is that lawyers are notorious for not being responsive. In fact, I’ve heard of situations in which clients have gone weeks without getting a call back from their lawyer.

This generally happens when a lawyer does not have enough administrative support in his or her office. Far too many lawyers believe they can take care of everything in and around their office themselves, from paperwork to client meetings to calendaring to returning phone calls to connecting with their clients other advisors, the list goes on and on. Truth is, a lawyer who is a true solo practitioner without administrative support or in a firm without adequate support will become overwhelmed and non-responsive to your needs.

You can and should ask your lawyer how he or she will respond to your ongoing needs, how quickly calls are returned in the office, if there is someone on hand to answer quick questions and if you should expect to get right through to your lawyer when you call the office.

A great way to test this is to call your prospective lawyer’s office and ask for him or her. If you get put right through or even worse sent to a voicemail, think twice about hiring this lawyer because it means they do not have effective systems in place for managing and responding to calls or answering your quick questions. Instead, what you want is for the person answering the phone or another team member to offer to help you and if he or she cannot then to schedule a call for you to talk with your lawyer at a future date and time when he or she will be ready to focus on your matter.

Your lawyer cannot be effective and efficient if he or she is taking every call that comes through to him or her – all calls should be pre-scheduled when you are both ready and your lawyer can focus on your specific needs.

8.  How will you proactively communicate with me on an ongoing basis?

Unfortunately, most lawyers do a horrible job of proactively communicating with their clients on an ongoing basis. The general thinking in the legal industry is that legal work is transactional in nature and clients will call when something changes. But, this is faulty thinking and in my opinion just pure laziness on the part of lawyers.

You want to look for a lawyer who will proactively communicate with you at least quarterly by mail via an informative, easy to read newsletter and monthly by email. I prefer to hear from the professionals I work with monthly by mail and weekly by email, but progress can only happen so fast.

If you are considering hiring a lawyer who does not proactively communicate with his or her clients, think again. This lawyer might be stuck in an old, outdated mindset that won’t serve your needs in the best possible way.

Don’t be afraid to ask these questions for you hire a lawyer to work with your family on your personal and business legal planning. You need to be satisfied by the answers you receive to these questions, as they often sneak up on families after-the-fact, and can be a major drain on your family’s cashflow.

If you’ve tried to visit this blog in the past couple of months, you may have noticed that things have been on hiatus.  That was because I have been working on an exciting project–several months ago, I began to work on business plans for my own law firm and I am pleased to announce the opening of Carolina Family Estate Planning in Cary, NC.

As part of this new adventure, this Spring I applied and interviewed to join the Personal Family Lawyer network and am pleased to announce that I was accepted to the network in May.  The Personal Family Lawyer designation is awarded to estate planning lawyers who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to  being a trusted advisor who will help you to make the very best personal, financial, legal and business decisions throughout your lifetime and will be there to guide your family and loved ones when you can’t be.

I’m thrilled to be included in this elite group of lawyers. I love helping people, being their trusted advisor, and helping them make the best decisions for their family for a lifetime. It has been my ambition to be this type of lawyer and not just prepare form documents, but to develop a true personal relationship with my clients. I’m very fortunate and honored.

In creating Carolina Family Estate Planning, I knew that I wanted to provide something more for my clients than the traditional estate planning experience. Joining the Personal Family Lawyer network was a natural fit because it is aligned with many of my ideals: using flat fee billing to eliminate surprises and create a more conducive atmosphere for asking questions and creating a lifetime relationship, client-oriented service, using a team approach to ensure all clients receive attentive and caring service and helping clients pass on more than just material wealth, but also their values, ideals, and stories.

So get ready for a totally different legal experience.  Estate planning shouldn’t be just a single transaction.  Your family’s needs will grow and change with time.  As such, the estate plan should be the beginning of a lifetime relationship with a trusted legal advisor.   At Carolina Family Estate Planning we will work with you to create an estate plan that works for you and your family and will continue to work during your lifetime and after.

We have a lot more information and details on the firm website at www.CarolinaFEP.com I hope you take a few minutes to check us out and while you’re there, be sure to sign up for our weekly ezine for additional articles and tips relating to personal, financial, legal and business planning for you and your family.

Carolina Family Estate Planning will not only meet your expectations, we will exceed them. We have unique systems to provide you and your family exceptional service.  We want to be your lawyer for life!  Contact our Client Intake Specialist at (919) 443-3035 and schedule your Family Wealth Planning Session today!