Estate planning, in our firm, is the process where your real estate, personal possessions, income, life insurance, other financial assets, other important documents, expenses, desired heirs, beneficiaries and/or legatees, and tax implications of your bequests and gifts are considered in a holistic framework. The result of this process will determine the best way to provide for yourself and your loved ones during your lifetime, disability, and after your transition.

The Family Vital Commitment Plan is the service we provide to assist clients to protecting their interests through the estate planning process. Our service includes several steps – and even more mini-steps – because like our clients are committed to their loved ones, we are committed to our clients. It is our philosophy that your estate plan should work for you during your life and not just at death and thus, be a living plan reflecting your commitment. Accordingly, our steps include:

1. Learning about your goals and objectives regarding your family’s most current vital spaces.
2. Analyzing current components you have in place that reflect your goals and objectives.
3. Determining all components needed to establish your family commitment.
4. Providing recommendations that will lay a foundation for your commitment.
5. Creating a plan, including wills, trusts, or any other instruments needed to reflect and legally establish your commitment.
6. Ensuring your interests are legally transferred to mechanisms that will support your commitment.
7. Reviewing your commitment at least annually and making any needed revisions.

Best practices recommend a team of professionals consulted with annually can help you protect your personal and financial interests. Your loved ones’ future financial well-being and good health are not guaranteed and attempting to provide for your loved ones without consulting the proper professionals may cause more harm than good.

The Family Vital Commitment Plan is provided for a flat fee that includes revisions. Because we take the time needed to ensure your commitment is legally protected, we also provide payment plans for each stage the work we perform. Your fee depends on what your commitment needs are that cannot be determined until you contact us. Also, we do not charge an annual review (or “subscription”) fee – what if no changes are needed?

We’re sorry to learn of your loss and recommend the following:

1. See our Essential Steps guide; and
2. Visit Family Benefit Protection Plan, which provides important information on estate administration, including probate.

Perhaps; perhaps not. Your family business may be sufficiently small in which only some family members are involved or it may be a large corporate enterprise providing you and other family members with substantive business interests and other assets. Clients with small businesses or who have significant earning potential, such as young doctors, can learn more about this through our Family Wealth Preservation Plan.