Getting Started
If you own assets or have people who depend on you (i.e., spouse, children), it is critical that you develop an estate plan with a qualified attorney. All estate planning attorneys and the services they provide are not the same. Some are just a department in a much larger law practice that provide a myriad of legal services unrelated to estate planning. Others offer the minimal in estate planning services, concentrating almost exclusively on the preparation of wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives.
At The Office of Antoinette Bone, we are here to work with you and your trusted advisors on all of your estate planning needs. If a more comprehensive approach that covers not only your financial concerns but also more personal matters, and one which recognizes that your goals may change over time is what you are seeking, contact us at 817-462-5454 or email us at info@abonelaw.com.
Our Process
We have established a process designed to provide excellent service, promote the advantage of a holistic approach to estate planning as well as maintaining a long-term relationship with you.
- Step 1 Discovery
- Step 2 Design
- Step 3 Implementation
- Step 4 Maintenance
Making the First Appointment
There is no monetary cost for the initial consultation. However we do require if you are married, that both spouses attend the conference. The purpose of this meeting is to spend some time getting to know one another in order to determine not only your needs, but whether our firm is a good fit for you and you for us. This conference will last approximately 90 minutes.
Your First Visit: Discovery
The purpose of your first visit will be for you to become comfortable with us as your estate planning law firm and for us to determine your planning goals, wishes, desires, concerns, and to educate you on what you can expect during the process, and the range of fees. During this time, we will find a comfortable environment in which to sit and discuss the short and long-term goals you have for yourself and your family and business. This is the beginning of the planning process and the foundation from which your personal estate plan will emerge.
The Design Meeting
The Law Office of Antoinette Bone has developed an Estate Planning Form to assist our clients in gathering all pertinent information. You should send us the completed form at least one week prior to your design meeting. This will allow us to review your situation and expedite the planning process.
During this meeting, we will discuss the options you have for obtaining your goals and decide which one will be best suited for you and your family. Following your appointment, The Law Office of Antoinette Bone will begin preparation of your estate plan along with all relevant estate planning documents. What those documents are will be determined by the planning goals, wishes, desires, and concerns you expressed during our Discovery meeting. Although there are certain basic documents everyone should have, every estate plan our firm creates is tailored to the specific needs of a particular client. These may include wills, medical directives, guardianship paperwork, trusts, or powers of attorney. They may also include documents for advanced planning, covering such matters as the care of those with special needs, charitable giving, business succession, as well as the transfer of tangible and intangible personal assets.
The Implementation Meeting
During this visit, we will review all relevant documents with you and commemorate the event with a signing ceremony. Once signed, your documents will be presented to you in an attractive binder. You will have a wonderful sense of security that you have looked after everything you have and everyone you love.
Moving Forward: Maintenance
At The Law Office of Antoinette Bone, we do not believe that our relationship with you ends once the plan has been completed and all documents have been signed. That is because we recognize that circumstances will undoubtedly change as you move through the different stages of life. A single individual may have very different planning needs than the married couple just starting out. The young couple will grow into a young family and need to rethink some of their choices. The middle-aged couple with elderly parents will experience the loss of one of those parents. The empty nesters or the more senior individual may experience an unanticipated need for appropriate long-term healthcare services.
Change in your personal life, as well as the law, will at some point necessitate the revisiting of your estate plan. It is for this reason that we have developed a legal long-term care plan called the “Lawyer for life” program. As a participant in this plan we will sit down together once a year to review your plan to ensure that it not only still reflects your personal circumstances, but also that you are maximizing every opportunity to achieve your goals and minimize risk. This along with other special benefits will keep your estate plan current.
It is important to remain aware that not only do your circumstances change, but so do state and federal statutes. In that spirit, we will consistently keep you updated on changes in regulations that may affect your personal plan and offer regular tips and thoughts on how you may be able to take advantage of some of these.
In summary, we believe that when it comes to estate planning, a short-term relationship is shortsighted. Our goal is to provide you with ongoing, life-long counsel on how you can best meet the objectives that you have set for yourself.
Contact us now at 817-462-5454 or via email at info@abonelaw.com.
