Protecting your financial future. Providing healthcare guidance.
You protect your family with life insurance and health insurance. Don’t overlook your financial care. We’re here to guide you and make the process easier.
Estate planning takes many forms. Most people think it is all about wills and if you watch public television specials, you’ve probably heard the term revocable living trust. While these documents are an important part of estate planning, a good estate plan also includes powers of attorney, health care directives, and many other documents that protect your finances and provide guidance in a healthcare emergency.
Contact us if you want to talk to us about your estate planning needs. We’re here to guide you and make the process easier. Cane & Boniface P.C. can help you if you’re located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Florida.
To help you understand what we’ll need from you, we’ve compiled a list of questions and answers to help guide you with the beginning stages of the process.
Estate Planning Q&As
Do you charge a fee for the initial consultation?
What will be included in my estate plan?
Once I have completed my plan, where do I keep my documents?
How often do I need to update my plan?
Q: How do I get started?
A: Please call our office to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our experienced estate planning attorneys. We will send you a confidential questionnaire to complete and return to us prior to our meeting. If you have estate planning documents already, please provide us with copies to review.
Q: Do you charge a fee for the initial consultation?
A: Yes. The fee includes our review of your information prior to our meeting, our meeting (which usually takes one to two hours), and a written follow-up analysis and proposal. Please call to discuss our fees.
Q: How much will my plan cost?
A: We don’t have a “one size fits all fee”, but the majority of our estate planning work is done on a flat fee basis. You will not need to worry about a “ticking clock” or getting a bill for a 5 minute telephone conversation. Our fee will depend on the complexity of your situation, but it will include all of the items we outline for you in the proposal. There won’t be any surprises!
Q: What will be included in my estate plan?
A: In your personal proposal we will outline the documents which will be included, but typically our plans will include:
- Your will (and a trust, if the situation calls for it)
- Health care proxy
- Living will
- HIPAA designation
- Power of attorney
- Deed of Guardianship (if you have minor children )
- Appointment of Agent to control disposition of remains.
Other documents may be included depending on your needs and desires. Note that the docs you need will also depend on where you live.
Q: Once I have completed my plan, where do I keep my documents?
A: Most clients chose to keep their original documents at our office, where they don’t move from the home office to the kitchen to the living room, etc. We do not charge a fee to hold your original documents and you may retrieve them at any time. We will give you copies of everything shortly after you sign your documents. Of course, you are welcome to keep your original documents and our office will retain copies.
Q: How often do I need to update my plan?
A: You should review your plan every few years to make sure that it still meets your needs and goals. Sometimes your choices for executors and trustees change, or you may change your mind about who you want to inherit your assets. The laws may also change and your plan may need to be updated. If you get married or divorced, lose your spouse, have children, move to another state, or your finances change for better or worse, you should review your plan with your attorney. To schedule an appointment with our estate planning attorneys, please call us at 845-727-4000