Before going further, we review existing estate documents, both the financial information and property information. The number and nature of these estate documents and any other related legal documents determine the complexity of the estate's administration, and whether or not you will need our specialized services.

Once we have performed our review, we meet with you to discuss the legal documents and asset structure of the estate. We provide a detailed overview of the estate administration process. Through in-depth conversation we come to understand your family dynamics, your needs and desires.

Based on what we learn in these conversations, we outline our recommendations, including all fees, deadlines, and responsibilities. We outline the tasks that lie ahead so that family members understand each step and the approximate time line. Together, we transform complex financial and emotional considerations into a workable and understandable plan.

ENGAGEMENT

Upon engagement, the Trustee officially becomes our client and signs the initial administration documents. We present the Trustee's Estate Administration Binder. This binder contains a blueprint detailing the special issues we will undertake on the Trustee's behalf, an agenda for a series of meetings, the goals of the next meeting, and a list of the professionals who will participate in the meeting.

We prepare and explain the documents the Trustee will need in order to acquire the legal authority to act on behalf of the estate. After signing these documents and with this authority, the Trustee is empowered to send the required notices to beneficiaries, family members, financial institutions, County Recorders' Offices, and other governmental agencies. The Trustee engages a Tax and Accounting Professional for the process of gathering, charting, and determining the character and value of each asset, as well as determining the applicable income and estate tax issues.

The Estate Administration Manager Attorney meets with the accountant and financial advisor to create a plan for the allocation, distribution, or division of the assets. The plan must balance the dictates of the estate's documentation, the Trustee's fiduciary objectives, any tax advantages, and the family's desires.

We take the Trustee step-by-step through the preliminary planning design, and we record every reaction, critique, and idea in order to further tailor the plan. The collaborative team of advisors explains the tax and practical ramifications of the different options.

The Preliminary Plan is then enhanced by the Trustee's input. Through the use of narratives, graphs, charts, models, and schedules, the team builds every aspect of the Estate Administration Plan into a final, easy-to-understand form.

We review and confirm all aspects of the plan with the Trustee, who signs documentation in order to begin the implementation process. We assign every detail of the plan to the appropriate advisors for immediate action. Each advisor provides the Trustee with a detailed plan and implementation schedule.

We provide the Trustee with details showing that the process of administering the estate has been successfully completed. Possible estate planning needs are reviewed. All outstanding questions are answered.

POST-ENGAGEMENT

It is critically important that the Trustee understands the need for continued interaction with all of the team professionals, including the Tax & Accounting Professional, the Financial Planner, Corliss, A Law Corporation, as well as the other Legal Professionals, in order to keep abreast of changing life circumstances and the ever changing tax laws. The Firm also offers The Family Estate Maintenance Program, our formal client updating process, for continued estate needs.

• The Plan
• The Maintenance Program
• Succession
• Affluent Individuals and Families