FAQ

After your estate plan is designed and executed, we help you coordinate your assets with your plan. We do this to make sure that all of your assets enjoy the asset protection features that your plan has. The complexity of this process depends on the nature of your assets.

For example, if your assets are a home and a bank account, this coordination would be simpler. But if you have property in other states, over $1 million in retirement accounts, business interests, rental property, and other such assets, this coordination will likely take more work and multiple in-person meetings.

Once we learn about you, your family, your goals, and what kind of asset protection you desire, we can quote fees for a project. Generally, the more advanced protection features your plan has, the higher the fee. Approximately 90% of the work we do for clients is billed on a flat-fee, one-time fee basis, and not hourly. We cap our fees to give you certainty about exactly how much we charge for your unique plan or project.

The number of meetings required depends on the complexity and sophistication of your plan. A simple plan with limited asset protection can be completed in as little as 2 meetings, while a more robust asset protection plan may require as many as 4-5 meetings.

Planning for a loved one with special needs is unique because of the complex laws around health insurance, SSI, SSDI, social security dependent and survivor benefits, housing options, and other important areas. Additionally, every beneficiary – regardless of their age, relationship to you, marital status, or physical or mental disposition – is unique. Our clients often enjoy the advanced customization that is available with our many estate planning and asset protection techniques.

A final reason why planning for a loved one with special needs requires particular planning is because the laws in this area are rapidly evolving, particularly in the areas of Guardianships, Supported Decision-Making, ABLE accounts, and first-party special needs trusts. We have two free resources on our Learning Center Page

Absolutely. Our office is in a standalone, flat, one-story building with plenty of private parking.

Yes. Our office can provide a secure document portal through which you can can send documents containing sensitive information. This is available at no cost to you. Simply call our office or send us an email and we will send you a link to this portal.

While it is a good idea to update your estate planning documents to the laws of the state in which you reside, often our attorneys can design or execute a modification of an existing estate plan rather than a new full estate plan, which saves you time and money.

It is worth noting that no matter which state your original estate plan was designed and executed in, Congress and the Alabama legislature have each passed multiple laws that have a significant impact on the vast majority of Americans’ estate plans. We recommend at least reviewing your estate plan every three years to see if any changes need to be made.