estate planning meeting

What an Estate Planning Meeting Looks Like

People often wonder what to expect when meeting with an attorney about estate planning (wills and trusts). Will it be like going to the dentist to get a tooth pulled or will it be like a walk in the park? At The TGQ Law Firm we certainly understand that the idea of meeting with an attorney, for any reason, can be scary, especially when you’re unsure about what to expect.

With that in mind, we wanted to give you some information that can help approach your meeting with confidence and excitement. Our core values are to: (a) treat people well, (b) provide sound counsel, and (c) make the process enjoyable! These are the values that guide us as we conduct all of our meetings with our clients.

With these values in mind, here are promises that we will keep. When you meet with us, you can expect the following:

  1. Our focus = YOU!

    We believe the client is the center of attention. You are the star of the show! We want to know what you care about, what burdens we can unload, what interests and goals we can help you meet, and what worries we can relieve. Consequently, we understand that our estate planning meetings are all about you. We listen a lot so that together we can build an estate plan that meets your specific needs.

     

  2. Your attorney = a specialist.

    In your estate planning meeting, you will meet with an attorney that specializes in estate planning (wills and trusts), elder law and /or probate law. This attorney is trained to advise you according to the law. As each of our attorneys are required to complete the State Bar of Michigan’s and Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s three year Probate and Estate Planning Certification program at a minimum, you are not meeting with a general practitioner. You are meeting with someone equipped and qualified to advise you in this area. We take our expertise seriously!

     

  3. Our lips are sealed!

    Everything you share with us is subject to attorney-client privilege, 100% of the time for 100% of the information. We not only refrain from sharing your information, but because we stand by confidentiality, we are reluctant to share that we are even meeting with you for this purpose. We know confidentiality is important to you, so we highly value confidentiality in our practice.

     

  4. No “legalese!”

    We work very hard to avoid using legal jargon and “law school” language. Our staff speaks plainly, using real-world examples and illustrations, while streamlining the process for efficiency. Our aim is for you to clearly understand every aspect so that the end-goal is exactly what you want. If you don’t understand we are patient enough to pause until everything is clear to you.

  5. Fair Price/ No Pressure.

    Simply put, we do not overcharge and we leave the choices to you. No one wants to pay too much. The saying goes that you “get what you pay for” and there is certainly a fee for our services, time, and expertise. We study the market rate for the services that we provide and make sure our costs are fair to all parties.  Providing a valuable service and only charging at its value is something we take pride in. In every meeting, however, we present you with options for “next steps,” make our recommendations, quote our fee and leave the decision to you. While much of the work deals with taking care of the business while you are able (alive and competent) we never pressure you into a final decision, but instead give you room to decide when to proceed. Planning for your death, health challenge, or for the protection of your assets may be daunting, but our goal is to make this planning simple and enjoyable.

In our estate planning meetings you are the star. You are the most important person in the room. Simply put, we are here to serve you!

3 replies
  1. Olivia Alexander-Quinn
    Olivia Alexander-Quinn says:

    We’re at peace knowing our will, trust, and assets are in great shape because the TGQLAW Firm solidified the process. They are experts! 💜

    Reply
  2. Mia Evans
    Mia Evans says:

    It really helped when you said that we will meet with a lawyer who specializes in wills, trusts, elder law, and probate law when going for an estate planning meeting. I will share this information with my husband because we actually need to talk to a professional regarding creating a will for the security of our kids. It’s because we are getting older and we never know what can happen to us no matter how safe we think we are.

    Reply
  3. Braden Bills
    Braden Bills says:

    I want to make sure that I get my estate planned out correctly, but I’m not sure how to do that. It makes sense that I might want to get a lawyer to help me out with this! I’ll be sure to get an attorney that specializes in estate planning to help me out with this kind of thing.

    Reply

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