How long does it take to make an estate plan?

I would love to help you complete your plan in six weeks or less. You waited a long time to call, so let's get your plan done while you're focused on it. A half-done plan provides no legal protection for your family. Of course, the process can take longer if you have a complicated family situation or are busy with other things. Still, six weeks is my goal.

What's the process?

Here's a summary of how our process works:

1. Download the Getting Started Packet from my website.
2. Fill out the Client Questionnaire, or as much of it as you can. It's common to leave some things blank, but you need to choose guardians before we can meet.
3. Make your first appointment online. In order to make the 6 week challenge, you will make 3 appointments in all, each  about 2 weeks apart. I'll help you schedule each one as you go along.
   The Initial Appointment takes about 1 and one half hours, depending on how many questions you've got.
   The Draft Review Appointment takes an hour.
   The Final Appointment takes an hour.
4. Within two weeks, you'll receive draft documents in the mail to review.
5. You'll come back for a Draft Review Appointment to go over the drafts, and to fill in any missing information. I know you're busy, so if you don't do your homework (reviewing the drafts) don't worry - by the end of this one hour meeting, you'll know how your estate plan works for your family.
6. The next week, you'll come back for a Final Signing Appointment. This meeting takes about an hour. You'll sign your final documents and learn about how to take care of your estate plan over time - who to give copies to, how to keep it current, and where to keep it safe.

How much does it cost?

1. I will give you an estimate of the cost of creating your living trust after our first meeting.  A relatively standard living trust for a family takes between 8 and 10 hours to complete. At my hourly rate of $300/hour, that's between $2400-$3000 in total.  More complex projects can take longer than that. For example, a trust for a husband and a wife in a second marriage with kids from both marriages will take longer than 10 hours typically.  (After our first meeting I'll be able to tell you whether or not your plan is complicated or not.)   I know that you want to know up-front how much it will cost to the get the job done right. But I also know, after nearly nine years of doing estate planning, that the most important thing is getting the job done properly.  I will not go over my initial estimate without discussing the project with you and coming up with a strategy for completing it efficiently with you. 
2. All of these Trust Portfolios  includes a living trust, wills for both spouses, durable powers of attorney for property management, and a certification of trust. I will give you an advance health care directive from the California Medical Association and we will complete that as part of your plan. All Trust Portfolios include the transfer of your house into the trust.  I will charge you hourly for the transfer of additional properties into the trust, and for the transfer of private partnerships or businesses.
   

How will I be billed?

Finch Montgomery Wright LLP bills clients on a monthly basis..

Does Finch Montgomery Wright accept credit cards?

Yes, we accept Visa and Mastercard.

When Can I Make an Estate Planning Appointment?

The best way to see what's available is to use my online appointment calendar--I try my best to keep it up to date and it will show you what's available for any given day. If you can't find a convenient time, call Corinne Taylor at 650/327-0888 and we'll figure out a way to meet. I can meet with you in San Jose, upon request, as well.

How Can Make an Appointment?

Click on Make An Appointment to go directly to my calendar.

How Can I Pick a Guardian?

That can be the most difficult part of estate planning. I can't tell you exactly who to pick, but if you download the article Picking Guardians from the Getting Started page, I hope it helps you find someone.

Where Is Finch Montgomery Wright?

1. Our Main Office is at 350 Cambridge Avenue, Suite 175, Palo Alto. That is one block north of the corner of California Avenue and Birch Street. There's a map and directions on the website.