Estate planning at Hayden Adams Law is not one size fits all. We offer 3 levels of planning to suit your varying needs. From starter plans primarily for families with young children and little in the way of financial wealth to more robust plans for well-established families concerned with matters of asset protection, preservation and increased growth, we’ve got you covered.
How much should my estate plan cost?
As you can imagine, we get the question “how much should my estate plan cost” quite frequently. And, it’s a good question. But there is not a “one-size fits all solution” for every family (and I would be hesitant if any lawyer tells you exactly what your plan would cost via email or over the phone, without a comprehensive discovery process.) You see, this is exactly why most estate plans fail. Families shop around based on price, because they don’t know any other way to shop for an estate plan, and end up with a traditional plan, which is a set of documents that do not actually work when the family needs them.
I can assure you we’ve priced our planning for you at the intersection of affordability and effectiveness. We start all of our plans with a Family Wealth Planning Session™, which is designed to get you more financially organized than you have ever been before, and ensure that no matter what happens, none of your hard-earned assets will be lost to the State Department of Unclaimed Property, when something happens to you. Even if you never do any planning with us, the Family Wealth Planning Session alone is a hugely valuable process for you and your family, because you will create a full inventory of your assets and ensure your family knows what you have.
Then, when we meet in person, we will review everything you own, and discuss everyone you love, and you will understand exactly what would happen to everything you own and everyone you love, in the event of your death or incapacity.
Three Levels of Planning
When we meet for your Family Wealth Planning Session, we will review the 3 planning levels with you, and you will choose your own fee based on your budget and the planning options that are most important to you and your family. Generally, our fees for a married couple with kids who is not focused on keeping the family out of court range between $2,000 up to $8,000 on the high end for an extensive plan that provides significant asset protection after death + maximum protection for your assets from inadvertent loss to the State Department of Unclaimed Property or the Court process.
Our plans are focused on ensuring your family has somewhere to turn if and when something happens to you. There truly is no one size fits all choice. We have created a process, though, to educate you quickly and effectively so that you can make empowered, informed choices about what you want for the people you love, so that you aren’t simply choosing the cheapest option because you don’t have any other basis for making your decisions.
Your family lawyer for life
At most estate planning law firms the relationship ends when you sign your documents. At Hayden Adams Law we see the signing of your estate planning documents as just the beginning of our relationship with your family.
Over time, your assets will change, your family will change, the law will change and your life will change. Your plan must accommodate all of these changes in order to make sure your plan works when your family needs it the most. If your plan is not properly updated over time, your documents become worthless. And the costs of failing to update are typically far greater than keeping your plan current.
With each of our estate plans we include a no-charge three-year review to ensure that as your life changes, so does your estate plan and to confirm your assets are held properly for maximum protection.
In addition, we ensure your assets are owned in the right way throughout your lifetime. There are currently billions of dollars sitting in State Unclaimed Property depots and we never want to see a penny of your assets there. Or for your family to be stuck dealing with the Court when you’ve worked so diligently to make things as easy as possible. That’s why we prepare a Family Wealth Inventory of your assets and keep it up to date year in and year out. So your loved ones can always locate what you own and how you own it, if and when necessary.
How we guide you to leave a legacy that is about More than just money
At Hayden Adams Law we believe estate planning is not just about transferring your financial assets and personal belongings. It’s also about capturing and transferring your valuable intangible gifts: who you are and what's important to you – your values, insights, stories and experience.
After you are gone, your loved ones will miss you deeply. They will long for your words of counsel and concern. Through our unique legacy process, you can give your loved ones the most precious gift – a lasting expression of your love.