The Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick, P.L.C. specializes in customized estate plans that reflect the personal and unique values, hopes, dreams and goals of our clients. We start with the premise that every estate is an important one, regardless of net worth, because you have spent your life accumulating it and want to preserve it from unnecessary administration fees, costs, and taxes, while planning to protect and provide for your loved ones in very specifically beneficial ways.
Once you have decided that you would like to meet with The Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick, P.L.C., regarding your estate plan, there are a few preliminary steps that we ask you to take to enable us to prepare for your initial consultation.
The first step is to contact the firm to schedule a mutually convenient confidential consultation for either an individual, married couple or business owners. Once the consultation is scheduled, and because every expert’s opinion is only as valuable as the information upon which it relies, we ask that you complete the Confidential Client Worksheet. The Worksheet can be completed in the comfort of your own home at your own pace. We then will send you a letter confirming the date and time of the meeting and request that you bring with you the fully executed Confidential Client Worksheet together with any other necessary documents that we feel to be appropriate.
We recommend inviting your financial and/or insurance or accounting advisors to the initial consultation only if it would make you feel more comfortable and are willing to waive the attorney client privilege against disclosure of confidential information, because of the benefits of the team approach to estate planning. We then will attempt to work with those advisors to achieve the best possible result for you.
Initial Consultation
At the initial consultation, Mr. Wittick will introduce what distinguishes his practice in the marketplace of estate planning attorneys, educate you as to your planning alternatives specifically related to your confidential information and make every effort to recommend solutions and quote a fee. However, depending upon the objectives to be achieved, as well as the complexity and net worth of the estate to be planned, Mr. Wittick may also determine and recommend that additional information/documentation/consultation with advisors/or meetings are necessary before solutions can be recommended. Please understand that Mr. Wittick is willing to provide one 2 hour free consultation in an attempt to prove that he can be trusted and is sincere that he wants to win you as a lifetime client. However, any review of pre existing plans will only be completed at a charge of his hourly rate and payable upon review. If a retainer results from the initial consultation, the retainer will dictate the charges for the remainder of the engagement. Mr. Wittick prefers to quote fixed fees because he has found that clients typically prefer such fees over hourly rates.
Design Meeting(s)
Typically the second meeting would be the design meeting at which additional counseling will be conducted as to all aspects and alternatives of the plan to be designed until such time as you are satisfied that the design will satisfy your objectives.
Signing Ceremony
Typically, the third meeting would be the signing ceremony when Mr. Wittick will carefully explain where each agreed upon design element has been written into your plan and what other steps are necessary to make sure that your estate plan will work.
Transfer of Title and/or Beneficiary Designation of Assets to Plan
The Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick, P.L.C. reminds and warns you that unless you transfer all assets to your trust, either by changing title and/or designation of beneficiary, your estate plan will not work. Mr. Wittick therefore will recommend that you allow him to transfer the title of all real property to your trust. He will also recommend the process of transfer best suited to your situation to make sure that this very important task is completed. For example, for clients with financial and insurance advisors, it is often easiest and best to assign those advisors the tasks of transfer. For most other clients, it will be recommended that they retain PBO Solutions, LLC., to transfer assets to their trust for the reason that PBO completes the transfers in a very efficient manner including written verification of funding to the client and for a fee that would be less expensive than if you retain our firm to fund. However, for any client who is in any way uncomfortable with PBO Solutions, LLC., the Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick, P.L.C. will be happy to complete the transfers for their transfer fees.
Three Step Strategy
The Law Offices of Michael J. Wittick, P.L.C. employs a 3 step strategy to create, implement, update and administer an estate plan that will work.
- The first step is that you are working with a Counseling-Oriented Attorney, who is explaining the alternatives necessary to create informed objectives, customized design and necessary implementation.
- The second step is Establishing & Maintaining an Ongoing Updating Program.
- The third step is Post-disability and / or Death Administration.
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