Our Planning Process

Assuming it’s a good fit, Vanessa will help you choose the planning level and fee that is right for your family (we have three different planning levels to accommodate your needs – and you and Vanessa will then design a plan that will provide you with the peace of mind of knowing your family will be taken care of in the event the unthinkable happens.

Sometimes, depending on the level of planning you choose and the complexity of your situation, a second design meeting may be necessary to review your more complex financial matters.

Once your plan has been designed to your satisfaction, you will return to our office about 4-6 weeks later to sign your planning documents.  At this point, your family and your assets will be totally protected in the case of your death or incapacity.

In most law firms, the relationship ends there.

But we see the signing of these documents as the beginning of our relationship with your family.  This is where our law firm is very different.

After you sign your legal documents, we don’t just send you on your way and wish you luck for the future.  Instead, we create an electronic record of all of your legal documents so you can easily access them anytime you need to in the future and then schedule a legacy meeting with you.  This is one of the most important meetings of our process because it’s where we:

1. ensure your assets are all owned in the right way (you can have the best set of legal documents, but if your assets are not owned in the right way, it’s all been a waste);
2. make sure everyone you’ve named to take care of your kids, the money you are leaving behind or you if you cannot care of yourself knows just what to do, if and when something happens;
3. capture and plan for your intangible assets – the values, insights, stories, and experiences – you would never want lost.

And this is where we make sure you understand everything we’ve put in place for you and your family.

Then, we still aren’t done!  We meet with you at least every three years to review your plan and make sure it stays up to date.  If you don’t review your plan regularly in order to ensure that it is up to date and takes full advantage of all of the protections under the law, it is unlikely that your estate planning documents are going to work when your family needs them most.  We too often see a decedent’s wishes go unfulfilled because an estate plan is completely outdated.

Our Family Wealth VIP Membership programs are part of what set us apartand allow us to care for you and your family throughout all life’s stages.

At most estate planning law firms the relationship ends when you sign your documents.  At the Law Offices of Vanessa M. Terzian, we see the signing your estate planning documents as the beginning of our relationship with your family.

Over time, your assets will change; your family may change; we know for sure that the law will change.   Your plan must accommodate all of these changes in order to make sure your plan works when your family needs it the most.  If your plan is not properly updated over time, your documents become worthless… worth no more than the paper they were printed on.  And the costs of failing to update are typically far greater than keeping your plan current.

With each of our estate plans we include a no-charge three year review to ensure that as our clients’ lives change, so does their estate plan and ensure that all our clients’ assets are held properly for maximum protection. We also include in our planning process a creative way for our clients to pass on more than just their financial assets, but also their human assets—who they are and what is important to them. And, we have annual membership programs for clients that desire even more service. Whether you participate in one of our annual membership programs or not, we keep all our clients updated about changes in the law and issues that might affect their lives.