Planning for the Future, One Step at at Time

Step One: Teach Us About Yourself and What You Would Like to Accomplish.

Once you make the decision to tackle this project that is estate planning, and you have contacted us to set up an appointment, we have our initial meeting, which is a learning session for us, as well as you.

During this initial step, we learn about you and your beneficiaries. We discover how you want to provide for them should you become disabled, or if you are no longer around to care for your loved ones. You are the expert when it comes to you and your family. We want to know as much as possible about you in order to design a plan that meets your needs during your lifetime and the needs of your beneficiaries whether young or old.

We also acquaint you with the basic “planning tools” that are available to you which we recommend, such as Wills, Trusts, Living Wills (“Advance Directives”), Revocable Living Trusts, and Power of Attorney documents, and the newly-created Transfer on Death Deeds.

Step Two: We’ll Teach You About the Law, and Help You Create a Customized Estate Plan.

Counseling, decision-making and designing a plan with your attorney, and if needed, your C.P.A. and financial advisor, creates a “custom-fit” estate plan. Together we will design a plan that implements your wishes for the future.

A well thought out estate plan coordinates what would happen with your home, your investments, your business, your life insurance, your retirement plans and other property in the event you became disabled. When creating your estate plan, you should take into account probate avoidance, planning for your incapacity (or the incapacity of your beneficiaries), planning for family “issues,” planning to meet your family values, planning for the care of your minor children (to keep court processes out of the picture as much as possible), and ensuring that your plan stays “on track.”

We also acquaint you with the “default rules” under Oregon law that you or a family member may encounter during life, and after someone passes away. Often, these “default rules” can be avoided with proper estate planning, such as a power of attorney or Revocable Living Trust.

Step Three: We Give You Tools to Make Sure Your Plan Stays “On Track” and Use a Formal Funding Program to Ensure Your Plan Succeeds

Even after you have completed your estate plan, you must make sure that it will still work for you in the future. Estate planning is a process. You should review it at least every five years to ensure that your plan still meets your needs.