We all hope to live long enough to take care of everyone we hold dear. Sadly, your family will one day lose you – but thanks to Breiner Law Firm, you can take action today to spare your loved ones from needless grief and expense after your death or incapacitation.
“Most people think of trusts as things that wealthy people create so their kids never have to work,” said Robbin Reed, Client Services Director for Breiner Law Firm. “That is a misconception. We prove that trusts are for anyone who wants their family taken care of in accordance with their wishes, regardless of whatever happens to them.
“I joined Sarah Breiner because she believes in personalized service for each and every client. It’s not about billable hours, or driving as many cases through our pipeline as we’re capable of. To us, it’s only about making certain our clients’ wills and trust documents reflect their exact wishes.
“Our six-step process covers each step of our client’s estate planning journey and lasts approximately eight weeks. It begins with a 20-minute consultation call, during which we discuss your goals, questions and expectations. Once we have learned more about your unique circumstances, we join you for a two-hour Family Wealth Planning Session. That is when we will explain how you can help your family avoid court and conflict, as well as create a legacy.
“Once the Session is complete, we begin drafting your plan. We will give you every opportunity to review the documents and request changes before the Will Signing Ceremony. From there it is only a matter of delivering your plan and determining how you will fund your trust. And because things invariably change over time, we will review your plan and ensure that it still fits your family’s needs every three years. We provide that ongoing support free of charge.
“We understand that our clients’ lives may keep them too busy to take a very active role in their estate plans. That’s why we let you choose how involved you would like to be in the process. If you would rather defer to our experience, Sarah is happy to make the best decisions for your estate on your behalf. You would still review your estate plan before it goes into effect, of course, and we will make any changes you advise. It’s a great way to streamline the process and still receive the plan which creates optimal peace of mind for your family.
“It is heartbreaking to see what happens when someone didn’t have an estate plan in place. We recently assisted a woman whose husband passed away. Her house was only in her husband’s name. Despite our best efforts, she had to spend six years in probate court before she was finally allowed to sell the house and move on with her life. We are grateful to have been able to help her, but we could have saved her so much trouble if we had only sat down with her husband for a couple of hours.
“A little foresight can make all the difference in the world for children as well. For example, if you’re in a car accident and you haven’t created instructions for first responders to follow, they are obligated to call Child Protective Services which will most likely place your children in foster care. Simply naming the temporary guardians who would care for your children while you’re in the hospital can prevent so much grief and trauma.
“Our services extend beyond the scope of what most estate planning firms typically offer. We have recently begun creating legacy interviews for our clients, where we record videos for their children to receive in the event they are no longer around to watch them grow up. It provides some assurance that they’ll still be involved in their kids’ lives no matter what happens. Likewise, we help our clients create guardian guides, which are essentially instructions for future guardians to follow as they raise their children.
“I understand that most people would rather not think about worst case scenarios. But they can and do happen. That’s why I encourage anyone to imagine what they would like for their loved ones when they are no longer around to care for them – and to contact us to make sure it becomes a reality.”
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