Our Estate-Planning Process

Estate planning should be understandable, organized, and tailored to your life. Our process gives you time to learn about your options, make informed decisions, review those decisions, and properly execute the documents you select.

We do more than hand you a stack of forms. We help you understand what each document does, how your property may be transferred, and what additional steps may be necessary after signing.

Step 1: Complimentary Intake and Introductory Consultation

We begin by gathering basic information about you, including:

• Your family and important relationships;

• Your property and financial accounts;

• Your existing estate-planning documents;

• Your concerns and priorities;

• The people you may want to appoint;

• Your business or real estate interests; and

• What you would like your planning to accomplish.

We will also ask how you heard about us—we always enjoy learning what brought someone through our door.

This initial conversation allows us to identify the general scope of your needs, answer preliminary questions, and determine whether our firm is the right fit for you.

Step 2: Design Session

The Design Session is a working meeting focused on education and decision-making.

We begin by discussing what could happen under current law if you became incapacitated or died without updated planning. Depending on your circumstances, this may include:

• Who would have authority to manage your finances;

• Who could make health-care decisions for you;

• How New York or New Jersey law would distribute your property;

• Whether court proceedings may be required;

• The potential cost, delay, and public nature of probate;

• How jointly owned property and beneficiary-designated accounts may pass;

• Whether a will, trust, or combination of documents is appropriate;

• How minor or vulnerable beneficiaries may receive property;

• Whether estate, income, capital-gains, or other tax issues should be considered; and

• How your real estate, business interests, retirement accounts, and other assets should be coordinated with your documents.

We explain the available options in plain language and discuss the advantages, limitations, and practical consequences of each approach.

By the end of the meeting, we will have the information needed to begin preparing the documents you select.

Step 3: Design Follow-Up

After the initial design work is completed, we schedule a brief follow-up meeting, generally lasting approximately 30 minutes.

During this meeting, we:

• Confirm your principal planning decisions;

• Review the proposed structure of your plan;

• Address questions that arose after the Design Session;

• Correct any factual information;

• Discuss requested changes; and

• Confirm that we are ready to prepare the documents for signing.

This additional checkpoint gives you an opportunity to reconsider or clarify your choices before the documents are finalized.

Step 4: Signing and Delivery

Once the documents are complete, we schedule a formal signing meeting.

We coordinate the required signatures, witnesses, and notarizations based on the documents and applicable law. We also explain the purpose of the documents you are signing and provide instructions concerning their safekeeping and use.

After execution, we scan the completed documents for our records and prepare your estate-planning binder for delivery. You will receive the original documents or be advised which originals should be retained by another person or institution.

If your plan includes a trust, additional work may be required to transfer appropriate assets, update account ownership, or review beneficiary designations. The funding assistance included in your engagement will be described in your engagement agreement.

Step 5: Complimentary Three-Year Review

Life does not remain unchanged, and estate-planning documents should be reviewed periodically.

We offer clients a complimentary follow-up review every three years. During that review, we can discuss changes involving:

• Marriage, divorce, or relationships;

• Children, grandchildren, or other beneficiaries;

• Guardians, executors, trustees, or agents;

• Real estate;

• Bank, investment, or retirement accounts;

• Business ownership;

• Health or long-term-care concerns;

• A move to another state; and

• Changes in the law that may affect the plan.

You are welcome to include adult children, future trustees, agents, executors, or other loved ones when appropriate. With your permission, we can explain their anticipated roles, answer general questions, and help them understand where important documents and information will be kept.

The review does not automatically include amendments, restatements, new documents, tax advice, asset transfers, or other legal work. If additional services are recommended, we will explain the scope and fee before proceeding.

Wealth Membership

Some clients experience frequent changes in their assets, business interests, investments, real estate, or family circumstances and may benefit from more regular attention.

For those clients, we offer our Wealth Membership. This service is intended primarily for individuals and families with an active asset portfolio who want more frequent opportunities to review their planning.

Membership may be paid monthly or annually and may include:

• Regularly scheduled planning reviews;

• Periodic review of the client’s asset inventory;

• Review of newly acquired property or financial accounts;

• Coordination with financial advisers and accountants;

• Review of account ownership and beneficiary designations;

• Preferred scheduling;

• Defined discounts or included services for certain updates; and

• Ongoing access for questions within the membership’s stated scope.

The precise services, limitations, fees, and renewal terms will be stated in a separate membership agreement.

Membership is entirely optional. Most clients will complete their estate plan without enrolling, and declining membership will not affect the quality of their legal documents or representation.

Begin With a Conversation

A thoughtful estate plan begins with understanding your circumstances and making deliberate choices.

Schedule a complimentary introductory consultation to tell us about your needs, learn how our process works, and determine whether Adelman Bodner Law Firm, PLLC is the right firm to assist you.