CONSULTING WITH CLIENTS BY ZOOM AND PHONE.
REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATION OF DOCUMENTS AND REMOTE COORDINATION OF DOCUMENT SIGNINGS.
Our job is to create an estate plan tailored to your family’s needs. We are not here to merely help you make decisions. Through our legal counsel, we will guide you in making the right decisions that will ensure the best results for your family’s future. We screen for complexities early in the process to avoid surprises. Once we understand your priorities and concerns, we draft wills and power of attorney documents to give your family a clear set of instructions as to your wishes in the event of death or incapacity.
Rest assured that the documents we prepare will be respected by courts, medical providers and financial institutions.
Or, contact me by email, phone or text. If you leave a message, be sure to specify preferred method of contact.
Within two days, you will be contacted to schedule a twenty-minute phone consult. Phone consults are the most efficient way to get a sense of your family and priorities. From there, we can customize a streamlined process to create your documents.
In our first in-person meeting, we will think through the key decision points to give family clear instructions and create a comprehensive set of documents. In-person meetings can take place at our office downtown or in your home.
Our final meeting is to sign, witness and notarize your documents. Our goal is to get you to the finish line and knock this task off of your to-do list.
I work on a flat fee basis rather than hourly rates.
I will guide your family through an efficient and responsive process that produces a comprehensive estate plan.
I will support your family to successfully generate the documents necessary to complete this project.
I will be understanding if a large work project or feverish child unexpectedly shows up on your list of responsibilities.
At its best, a will is an affirmation of your love and connection to your family however you choose to define it. Your will is also a critical part of your family’s financial plan. The process of creating one helps you take stock of your finances and your long-term goals.
Health care directives give your loved-ones guidance in how to make end-of-life decisions if you are unable to communicate your choices yourself. Without this guidance, your family is left with the burden and uncertainty of making difficult decisions in a vacuum.
Just about everyone should designate powers of attorney in case of emergency. Power of Attorney documents name someone you trust to make medical or financial decisions on your behalf if you die or lose capacity to make decisions.
Trusts allow you to set aside money in trust for your child in the event of your death. You determine that age at which your child takes control over the trust money. The default in Washington law is for children to receive all the money at age 18, an age many consider to be too young.
Parents who do not name guardians for their children risk having the court assign guardianship to family members who are well-positioned to care for children. Or worse still, children could become wards of the state. By naming a guardian and back-up guardian in a will, parents take that decision into their own hands.
Management of Online Presence
Your digital assets -- Emails, Cloud Computing Accounts, Financial Accounts, Blogs, Websites, Social Networks, and other internet property and files add another dimension to planning.
My comprehensive estate planning package includes a Digital Assets Directive, the naming of a Digital Executor and up to four digital heirs. The digital executor is responsible for closing or transferring your online accounts.
Three Year Review
Your family’s success matters to me, which is why I am available to meet with every client at the three-year mark to review and evaluate our work against any asset growth or changes in state and federal law. This meeting has no fee and is part of the comprehensive planning package clients receive when working with me.
“Michael is really straightforward and direct which is so helpful when you’re talking about these kinds of delicate topics. I also truly appreciate anyone who can say what they can do and what they can’t do, and he was always very up front. “I am not your criminal lawyer. I am your lawyer for your will.” I really think that makes such a difference to have someone who clearly sets their boundaries and lets you know ahead of time.”
