How To Get Started
By now you’ve seen that Lichterman Law, PLC is something special. Because you love your family, you know your family deserves the kind of protection, guidance, and love we provide. It’s important that you know how we work because we do things differently here than at other law firms. That’s why our clients love us so much.
Schedule Your Peace of Mind Planning Session
Call our office at (616) 827-7596 to schedule your Peace of Mind Planning Session and ask to speak with Paula, our Client Services Director. Paula will schedule the most convenient appointment time available for you with Michael. We see clients Tuesdays through Saturday and even have evening appointments available to make planning as convenient for you as possible. We consider your keeping this appointment to be the highest priority.
We understand that this policy of requiring to make the Planning Session a high priority may seem unique. So is our law firm. We provide our very best service to those families who are looking for a long-term relationship with their trusted advisor. We expend most of our energy providing an exceedingly high degree of service to our existing clients and limit the number of new clients we see each week. We only take referrals from trusted Professional Planning Partners. As a result, we ask that you treat your appointment as important as we do. And if something comes up and you can’t attend your appointment, we ask that you give us at least a 1 week notice so we will have enough advance notice to open the slot to a waiting family.
What to Do Prior to Your Personal Peace of Mind Planning Session
About 3 days after scheduling your appointment, you will receive a Mailer with your Estate Planning Worksheet (also downloadable here) and other important information that you will want to review prior to your Peace of Mind Planning Session. We must have your Estate Planning Worksheet returned to our office three days prior to your Consultation either by mail, fax, or email or we will need to reschedule your Consultation. Feel free to call the office any time if you need assistance completing your worksheet or have any questions at all.
If you have existing estate planning documents, please make sure that we have your existing documents in our office at least a week before your meeting so that we can review them prior to meeting with you.
What to Expect the Day of Your Personal Peace of Mind Planning Session
On the day of your meeting, please expect to spend at least 2 hours with Michael. The initial meeting has two purposes:
- To identify whether there is a good fit between you and the attorney who will become your personal Lawyer, and
- To educate you about the law and what would happen if you died with your current (or no) plan in place.
Looking at what would happen under your current plan enables you to identify what you would want to happen differently. Together, you and Michael will make the decisions that are necessary to give you the peace of mind of knowing your family would be taken care of in the way you want if something happened to you.
Assuming that you and Michael determine that there is a good fit between our firm and your family AND that you identify specific ways you would want things to happen that are different than what would happen if something happened to you, you and Michael can design a plan for your family right away.
What Happens Next?
Once you and Michael have completed designing your plan, you will schedule a meeting to sign your planning documents approximately 4 weeks later. We have a process of reviewing the documents with you that makes your plan so easy to understand that you will know for certain that we understood exactly the way you want things to happen when something happens to you and that your loved ones will be in excellent hands with our firm. Once you sign your planning documents, your assets and your family are protected as discussed during your design meeting.
We see the signing as only the beginning of our relationship. You may make changes to your planning documents at no charge for up to 90 days after you sign your documents. In addition, we send letters to all of the important people you’ve named as health care agents, trustees, and short-term guardians letting them know just what to do if something happens to you – namely, call us, we’re here for your family!
At our final meeting during the planning stage of our relationship, we verify that all of your asset transfers are moving forward on track whether we are taking the lead or you are taking the lead with our guidance. We review your Family Wealth Inventory spreadsheet with you and ensure all of your questions are answered. Of course, if they aren’t or they become cloudy later on, we are always available to answer your questions at any time in the future. And, there’s no charge for that. It is at this meeting that we have your first Priceless Conversation. This is our way of helping you pass on your most valuable asset – who you are and what is important to you (your values, insights, stories, and experiences).
What Happens After I Sign My Estate Planning Documents and Take Them Home?
After the planning phase is complete, the maintenance phase of your plan will begin. At no additional charge, we review your plan at least every three years and help you stay informed about changes in the law and about other issues that affect your family and your wealth. And, if you participate in one of our Family VIP Membership programs, you will have an opportunity to review your plan on an annual basis, and we will provide your family with a number of other valuable services, including changes to your planning documents at no charge. Finally, we are always here for you and we don’t charge you for phone calls, faxes, or emails. We welcome your communications!
You’ll be amazed at how easy and painless the entire planning process will be for your family.
Call us today!
(616) 827-7596
