How Much Does Estate Planning Cost?
Why Cost Matters
As you can imagine, we get the question “How much does an estate plan cost?” quite frequently.
This is a good question that I want to answer for you as clearly as I can, given that there is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution for every family.
If a lawyer can tell you exactly what your plan would cost via email or over the phone without a comprehensive discovery process, I would run quickly away from that lawyer.
Because 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 they end up with a traditional plan, which is a set of documents that do not actually work when the family needs them.
Here Is What I Can Assure You
We have designed and priced our estate planning options for you and your family at the intersection of affordability and effectiveness.
We start the planning process with a Family Wealth Planning Session, which is designed to educate you on your options, 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 Illinois State Department of Unclaimed Property, when something happens to you. The department currently holds more than 3.5 BILLION dollars in unclaimed assets.
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.
If you do not have a plan, we will cover the plan the State of Illinois has for you.
If you do have a plan, we will review your current plan with you. (We call this an Estate Plan Checkup and Review).
If you are not happy with the plan the State has for you, or your existing plan, YOU will tell US what you would want to change, and we will look at the most effective, efficient and affordable way to achieve your goals.
Here is the most important part for you to know about this: you will be making informed, educated, empowered decisions for the people you love, not just shopping around based on price.
And the best part is that as part of this process, you will actually choose your own fee based on your budget and the planning options that are most important to you and your family. 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.
You Choose Your Planning Level
With all of that background in mind: Your Family Wealth Planning Session is a value of $500, or if you have an existing estate plan that you want us to review as part of this process, then your Estate Plan Checkup and Review is a value of $750.
The great part is if you would like to do preparation ahead of time to make your appointment as valuable a use of your time as possible, then you can contact us to schedule below, we will provide instructions as to how to prepare for your appointment, secure your appointment time with a credit card (nothing is charged on your card so long as you keep your appointment and complete the preparation in advance), and then your appointment fee is waived.
The awesome thing about the preparation is that you will be more organized than you have ever been before because you will create a full inventory of your assets and ensure your family knows exactly what you have and where it is located.
We offer a complete zeroing out of the planning session fee in that case because your commitment to the preparation before the meeting saves me time, which saves you money.
If after reading this, you are ready to make informed, empowered, educated decisions for the people you love (instead of just shopping around for the cheapest plan, which is unlikely to work when your family needs it), get started by booking your Family Wealth Planning Session (or Estate Plan Checkup and Review).