St. Petersburg Estate Planning Resources For Professionals
At Legacy Protection Lawyers, we work closely with other professional advisors, including Certified Public Accountants, Certified Financial Planners (CFP®), investment advisors, financial consultants, insurance professionals, actuaries, trust officers, bankers, other attorneys and tax advisors as part of the estate planning team. You probably agree with our experience that the team approach provides our mutual clients with a comprehensive estate plan.
Our Personal & Business Legacy Approach
Before our Initial Legacy Consultation, our clients receive a personalized Legacy Planning & Welcome Package. Our clients are asked to complete a Confidential Legacy Questionnaire which is included in the Package and to send it to us prior to our Initial Legacy Consultation. This not only facilitates a more productive first meeting, but helps our clients focus on the issues and decisions they must make in order to assist us in developing the most effective plan to meet their Legacy Preservation goals.
At the Initial Legacy Consultation our attorneys provide the client with our general recommendations and a fee quote for the services we will be providing. We typically can give clients a “fixed fee” proposal if that is their preference. Clients will receive an engagement letter and retainer agreement that they may sign at the Initial Legacy Consultation, or take it with them for review, signature and return.
During the implementation phase, our team maintains an ongoing communication with the client. These communications may involve obtaining additional documentation, clarifying goals and information, and discussing options and tradeoffs. We use all appropriate avenues of communication: phone, email, and in-person meetings based upon the client’s preferences. We firmly believe that ongoing communication is an essential element of developing an effective plan, and building a life-long relationship with our clients.
We also believe that no client should sign any document without a complete understanding. Accordingly, our attorneys dedicate a significant amount of time to explaining the various provisions in each document and answering every question before any documents are signed.
Once documents are signed, if our clients desire, we will work directly with them, or with you, or both, to ensure proper funding of any trusts, re-titling of assets, and changes to beneficiary designations. We also keep our clients informed on a regular basis through our newsletters, our periodic seminar programs, and our client appreciation events. Through these regular touch points we keep clients informed about changes in the law that might affect them, and remind them to monitor their plans with regard to major life events.
Your Approach
Our experience has shown that many professionals and organizations have different methods and preferences for interacting with their clients. Though we have great confidence in the effectiveness of our own processes and procedures, our attorneys and staff gladly will work within your processes, or blend our respective methodologies. Our primary goal is to serve the needs of clients and we welcome the opportunity to serve them within the team environment. Like us, you probably don’t like surprises, so we work hard to keep “open lines of communications” with fellow professionals on work for mutual clients within the bounds of our ethical obligations. Typically, our standard engagement letter will provide our client’s permission to share information with you.
