FAQ Friday: Our process with Candice
On Friday, January 12th, attorney Candice Joy explains our process.
The first step is to make your appointment. You can do so by messaging via Facebook, texting our office, calling in, booking on the website, or emailing.
We will send an intake form as well as an invoice for the meeting fee. This is a fee that is credited to the total cost of your plan should you choose to hire the firm.
During the consultation appointment she likes to find out your goals. Then some information collection will happen next prior to explaining the options as well as what’s suggested.
A decision will also be made regarding moving forward. Whether that be to hold for now, start a Will package or start a Trust package.
If you choose one of the packages we will charge a retainer that equals half the cost. The meeting fee is deducted from half cost and that is what is invoiced. The remaining will be charged at the signing appointment.
We will then address any more questions you have and collect more information based off whether you choose a Will or a trust. That decision will separate the paths of the process from here.
If a Will plan is decided, then we should obtain all information needed to prepare the documents during that appointment. There may be a few emails back and forth if anything is missed. Your draft documents will be emailed via our secure portal a week prior to your signing appointment. This provides a week to ask any questions or make any corrections prior to coming in.
If there is a deed, we will file with the county. With a Will, we will file with the Register of Wills office. There will be one more appointment about a month after the signing where you will pick up your document book we put together.
When a trust plan is chosen, the next appointment is a trust design appointment. There are a lot more decisions needed to be made and we want to make sure you have all the time necessary to understand the decisions being made.
After that appointment (your second) and a week before the trust review meeting (your third appointment), we will also send out your documents via our secure portal for review. Since there are a lot more documents involved for a trust, we try to separate out those appointments.
Your fourth appointment is your trust signing appointment. We would take care of your deed and your Will to be filed as well.
Again, it would end with a quick 10 minute meeting to pick up your book. This meeting is typically longer than a month out since we do trust funding and deeds are more common with these plans and can have a long waiting period.
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