(includes initial consultation)
These are flat legal fees to meet with you, diagnosis your situation, challenge how you value your properties, discuss who - friend, relative, organization - has been important in your life and who is trustworthy to administer your estate as you would, figure out how to start cleaning up your mess, and, oh yes, prepare your Will. I think the prices are a good value even though you can download a Will on the internet for less.
There seem to be a thousand websites willing to sell you a Will form. And really, most will probably get the basic legal job done. But that's not what I do. I can prepare a Will in literally seconds once I have your basic intake. Computers are pretty amazing for this sort of thing. And when I was younger that's what I thought clients wanted: a fast and cheap Will. Now, 25+ years in, having raised three children, buried two parents and litigated some of the nastiest Will disputes imaginable (nothing is meaner), I no longer do fast Wills. Instead I talk to you for as long as I have time and try to figure out your situation and what you need to do. Making you deal with your mess is really the job I do. Oh yes, I also prepare your Will.
I send people with complicated Will needs - assets in excess of $600,000 - to my spouse who specializes in Wills, Trusts and Estates. Instead I prepare Wills for people of lesser means who just want matters to go smoothly without a dispute. But what usually is the case is YOU need to think matters through and YOU need help getting your stuff organized. So I keep poking you about what happens tomorrow if you die tonight. I do this because I realize nobody else does.
Now days, even though I am much faster at drafting a Will, instead of you walking out of my office with you completed Wills on your first visit, you go home to think about things. Then we fine tune what you need via email drafts. I do what needs done until it gets done - until you fully understand and are happy with your documents. Then you come back, we get things signed and copies are made for whoever needs a copy.
To qualify for the fees above you must complete my will questionnaire prior to your first appointment. When you make the appointment I will send you the Will questionnaire link to get you started and help me start a file. This allow us more time to talk and visit and get a better understanding of what is important to you and what you need in a Will. The additional costs below are for additional provisions which may be applicable to your situation. These prices are only good if the additional document is processed at the same time as your Will.
Additional Costs:
| $100 | Add a Trust Provision to Will |
| $60 | Prepare a General Power of Attorney (POA) |
| $60 | Prepare a Health Care Power of Attorney (HPOA) |
| $20 | Prepare a Declaration for Natural Death ("Living Will") |
| $1500 | Establish a Guardianship |
| $1500 | Prepare a Living Family Trust |
| $1500 | Prepare a Special Needs Trust |
This is my legal fee to Administer a basic Estate valued under $600,000. This fee includes preparation of: Application for Administration, 90 Day Inventory, Oath, Order, Letters Testamentary, Notice to Creditors, Tax Certification, Final Accounting, and all Conferences with the Clerk of Court. I charge extra if the Estate has stock or retirement accounts which must be distributed and/or if the deceased owned a business at the time of death. I charge my regular hourly billing for litigation involving an Estate.
*In all cases you are responsible for all costs.