The 3 Stages of Planning
Comprehensive Guidance from Our Tarzana Attorneys
Wherever you are in the process of estate planning – whether it's
a new estate plan or amending an existing one – , navigating the
legal system to make the appropriate decisions for you and your family
can be stressful, overwhelming and expensive if you are not working with
the right lawyer.
Many people avoid the decision to create an estate plan because:
- They don’t realize the importance of a comprehensive plan or don't
believe they need it
- They created an estate plan a long time ago and believe everything is taken care of
- They believe it’s too expensive
- They don’t know how to find the right attorney
- They are not sure where to begin and what to do
- They don't want to have to make important personal decisions
In truth, estate planning may trigger those concerns but when you find
the right attorney, it can actually be a thought-provoking and rewarding
experience that yields peace of mind. Contact us today
at 800.489.1984 to learn more.
How Our Lawyers Can Help You
At Goldfarb & Luu, we are your trusted advisors, confidants and advocates
and together we will develop a solution that fits your and your family’s
needs. At Goldfarb & Luu:
- We guide you with compassion, education and support
- We simplify and explain your options
- We are accessible to you to answer your questions and concerns
To make creating and maintaining your estate plan easier for you, we have
organized our estate planning process into 3 stages.
STAGE 1: Education, Your Wishes & Drafting
Stage 1 typically begins with a phone call and ends when you sign your
estate planning documents. During our first call, we will learn about
you and share our client philosophy with you. From then on, we will work
closely with you to plan and implement an estate plan that best suits
your and your family’s needs. Throughout the process, we educate
you about your options and their consequences, encourage you to think
critically, and counsel you in your decision-making. Our estates plans
are custom-drafted and designed to work when you need them.
Write down your questions and contact us to schedule a
complimentary 15 minute consultation.
STAGE 2: Funding & Beneficiary Designations
If your estate plan includes a Trust, it is critical that it is properly
funded. Funding is the process of changing the title of your assets from
your name into the name of the Trust. If this part of the process is not
completed and updated throughout your life, your estate will likely end
up in probate and cost your estate a lot more money than necessary. At
the same time, some of your assets will have beneficiaries and will not
be in the name of your Trust. If beneficiary designations are outdated,
your assets may end up in the hands of the wrong people. During Stage
2, we make sure that all of this is done correctly and completely.
STAGE 3: Maintenance
In order to ensure that our estate plans work in the way they are intended,
we maintain a life-long relationship with you and reconnect periodically
every few years. During our maintenance meetings, we review your estate
plan, assets and other aspects of your estate plan to determine if they
are up-to-date. From these meetings, perhaps amendments are warranted
or maybe we merely remind you of some outstanding homework and offer additional
resources to help you and your family.
We are a resource hub for you and your family. We encourage you to contact
us for referrals or when you have questions. We like to consider ourselves
small town lawyers with big city experience.
