"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is also unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot -- it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better."
If you are shopping for estate planning services solely based on price, then I am not the estate planning attorney for you. My legal fees are higher than many attorneys, and lower than many attorneys, but they represent exceptional value. All of the estate plans that I draft are customized for the particular clients' needs. Several hours are personally spent by me meeting with my clients and creating their estate plans.
Quick links: Foundational Estate Planning Advanced Estate Planning Available Fee Discounts
FOUNDATIONAL ESTATE PLANNING:
For individuals, my planning fee for a Living Trust Plan is $2,500 to $3,000.. Planning includes:
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The wishes and desires of the individual
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The planning objectives the individual has for his or her property and family, including any desire for asset protection planning for the inheritance that is being passed on
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If the individual has minor children, any special planning that is desired for the minor children (Children's Legacy Plan)
For married couple, my planning fee for a Living Trust Plan is $3,000.00. The actual cost will be determined by the following factors:
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The wishes and desires of the couple
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The planning objectives the couple has for their property and family, including any desire for asset protection planning for the inheritance that is being passed on
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Income and estate tax planning, including planning for the current repeal of the federal estate tax and the likely return of the tax later in 2010
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If the couple has minor children, any special planning that is desired for the minor children (Children's Legacy Plan)
For registered domestic partners, the Living Trust Plan planning involves the preparation of two individual coordinated estate plans for the couple. This will run from $3,500 to $4,500. The actual cost will be determined by the following factors:
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The wishes and desires of the couple
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The planning objectives the couple has for their property and family, including any desire for asset protection planning for the inheritance that is being passed on
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If the couple has minor children, any special planning that is desired for the minor children (Children's Legacy Plan)
ADVANCED ESTATE PLANNING:
Advanced estate planning options also exist, such as irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILIT), charitable trusts (CRT), suppplemental or special needs trusts for disabled persons (SNT), and the IRA Inheritance Trust for retirement plan assets (IRA Trust).
For ILIT, CRT, and SNT, my flat fee is $2,000 for each trust.
For the IRA Inheritance Trust, my flat fee is $3,000 for individuals, married couples, registered domestic partners, or gay/lesbian married couples. Separate IRA Inheritance Trusts are drafted for each spouse or partner, all covered by the same flat fee. If there is substantial difference in the final distribution plans for the IRA Inheritance Trusts, then an additional $500 may be charged for the extra planning.
Those who attend my living trust seminars may qualify for a substantial discount on the above fees. Also, those who belong to a legal service plan (see below) or other member organizations may also qualify for substantial discounts on the above fees. This is subject to change without notice.
You can read about what is contained in each of the estate planning options that I offer on other sections of this website.
Schedule an Estate Planning Consultation
Register for a Free Living Trust Seminar
View Living Trust Seminar Online at www.lawbob.net
AVAILABLE FEE DISCOUNTS
I am an attorney provider for several legal service plans through local companies that provide discounts for my legal fees. Check \with your Human Resources department or HR Benefits person to determine if you are eligible for one of these discounts.
Plans include:
CLC INCORPORATED LEGAL PLAN: The CLC Incorporated Legal Plan provides for a discount of 25% off my normal fees for estate planning services. They are often part of an EAP ("Employee Assistance Program") offered by your company, such as "Concern" or "United HealthCare." Some representative local companies and other organizations others include: Hewlett-Packard, Blue Coat Systems, Oracle, Foothill-De Anza Community College District, and San Jose State University.
ARAG LEGAL PLAN: The ARAG Legal Plan may provide coverage for some or all of the cost of simple or complex Wills, powers-of-attorney, advance health care directives, revocable living trusts, and irrevocable trusts. Anything not covered by the company's ARAG Legal Plan receives a 25% discount off my normal fees. Representative local companies and other organizations with the ARAG Legal Plan include: Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Lam Research, Syngenta Seeds, Adobe Systems, Microsoft, Thomson-Reuters, NEC, EMC Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Integrated Device Technology, Formfactor, VMWare, Seagate, Symantec, Kaiser Permanente, and ABB, Inc.
LAWPOINT (LEGALCONNECT): Lawpoint (LegalConnect) provides for a discount of 25% off my normal fees for estate planning services. The plan is part of an EAP ("Employee Assistance Program") offered by ComPsych. A representative local company is Linear Technology.
CALDWELL LEGAL PLAN: Caldwell Legal Plan provides for a discount of 25% off my normal fees for estate planning services.
LEGALEASE: Legalease legal plan provides for a discount of 25% off my normal fees for estate planning services.
I also offer discounts to members of the following organizations, who are eligible to receive a 20% discount off my normal fees for estate planning services:
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