How We Work
Why We Are Different:
1.
We set our meetings based on your schedule and your needs. That is why we hold meetings after hours and on weekends.
2.
We bill on a flat fee basis. The fees to be charged are agreed upon in advance, so there will never be any billing surprises.
3.
We keep our meetings focused and productive as we work with you to get you from a place of uncertainty to peace of mind in a matter of four to six weeks.
4.
We communicate with you regularly throughout the planning process as well as after the planning is complete.
At Cris Carter Law, our goal is to establish a lifelong relationship with each of our clients and be their trusted attorney for life! We look forward to helping you create the plan you and your family can count on for a lifetime!
Schedule a 15-minute Free Consultation!
Our process begins with a Family Wealth Planning Session. Before the session, we will ask you to complete some homework that will have you feeling more organized and on top of things than you have in a long time. Maybe ever.
During that session, we will look at what would happen to all of what you have and everyone you love, if anything were to happen to you.
Then, we’ll determine a plan together to make sure everything goes the way you want it to so you are always in control. And so your family knows just how much you care.
Should we decide there are things we can do to take care of your family better than they would be taken care of now, we will present you with planning options that allow you to decide on your fee and the level of service that is right for you and your family.
Three Levels of Planning
When we meet for your Family Wealth Planning Session, we will review the 3 different planning levels with you. You will choose your own fee based on your budget and the planning option best suited for you and your family.
We offer start-up plans for families with young children who do not yet have much in the way of assets and wealth to more robust plans for families that have acquired assets and are concerned with asset protection, preservation and increased growth.
All of our plans are focused on ensuring your family has a plan that will work for them when it is needed and they have the protection and security in place your family needs.
We believe in personalized service for each and every client. Our approach is educational and proactive as we have created systems and processes to educate you quickly and effectively. We walk you through what happens in Colorado if you do not have any estate plan. Together we spend time and focus on what is most important to you and your family given your needs, wants, desires and values of your family. We guide you as you make informed decisions and create the estate plan that aligns with your objectives and will be there for your family when they need it most.
If you are looking for the cheapest planning, you might as well take the time to read, learn and do the extensive research required and “do it yourself” rather than using an on line service or a lawyer who uses the one size fits all approach. Choosing a cheap set of estate planning documents will give you a false sense of security and a plan that most likely will fail when your family needs it most.
Your first step is to schedule your personal Family Estate Planning Session. You can schedule online here, email clientservices@CrisCarterLaw.com, or by calling the office at (719) 434-0000. Prior to your Family Estate Planning Session, you’ll receive an email with your Family Planning Worksheet. You will complete the worksheet and return it to our office with any existing estate planning documents you have so we will have time to review all information before your Family Estate Planning Session.
On the day of your meeting, expect to spend approximately ninety minutes to two hours to meet with us. Your initial meeting has several purposes:
- To educate you about Colorado’s estate planning laws and what would happen if you died with your current (or no) estate plan in place.
- To determine if we are a good fit for one another and would work well together during the estate planning process.
- To discuss the design process and how you can best protect your family in the ways you desire and give you peace of mind.
Our Estate Plans are priced based on affordability and effectiveness. Our fees for a Probate plan for an individual start at $750. Our fees for a married couple with children range between $1,500 to $7,000 depending on your choice of a simple plan or a more extensive plan that provides significant asset protection after death and maximum asset protection for your loved ones during their lifetime.
Once the design of your plan is complete, we will schedule a meeting for you to sign your estate plan. We will sit down and review your documents with you so that your estate plan is easy to understand and gives you the confidence that we have put a plan in place that is exactly the way you want things to happen in the event of your incapacity or death. Once you sign your estate plan, your family and your assets are protected.
At our next meeting during the planning process, we verify all of your asset transfers are on track and moving forward. We answer all your questions then. At any time you have a question or need clarification on any issue, we are ready to talk with you. There is never a charge for that.
This is just the beginning of your relationship with us. If you determine changes are needed to your planning documents, we will make whatever changes are needed at no charge for up to 90 days after signing. All of the important people you have named as health care agents, trustees, and guardians will be notified and given instructions on what to do if something happens to you. Whenever we are needed, they just need to call us. We are here to assist you and your family as needed.
Completing your estate plan is a great feeling. At most estate planning firms the relationship ends when you sign your documents. At Cris Carter Law, we see things differently. We see the signing of your estate planning documents as just the beginning of our relationship with your family. And that’s how it should be because your life will change; your circumstances will change through births, adoptions, weddings and the like. You may move. As life changes, your assets may change. The law is constantly changing. And as these changes occur, your estate plan may need to evolve as well.
Maintaining Your Estate Plan
As your assets change, the law changes, your family changes and your life changes, your plan will need to change. Your plan must accommodate all of these changes in order to make sure your plan works when your family needs it the most. If your plan is not properly updated over time, your documents become worthless- worth no more than the paper they were printed on. And the cost of failing to update are typically far greater than the cost of keeping your plan current.
In addition, we ensure your assets are owned in the right way throughout your lifetime. There are currently billions of dollars sitting in government unclaimed property accounts and we never want to see a penny of your assets there. Nor do we want your family to be stuck dealing with the Court when you’ve worked so diligently to make things as easy as possible. That is why we prepare a Family Wealth Inventory of your assets and keep it up to date year in and year out. So, your loved ones can always locate what you own and know where it is located, if and whenever necessary.
Your Three Year Review
With each of our estate plans, we include a no-charge three year review to ensure that as your life changes, so does your estate plan and to confirm your assets are held properly for maximum protection.
We welcome the opportunity to serve your entire family and your friends. We can do free estate checkups for your parents as they age, and we can work with your children become young adults and put their very first basic estate plan together. We are here to serve the whole family.
Do the research and choose carefully. Realize some attorneys do estate planning “on the side.” It isn’t the type of law they want to do but they do it to fill in the gaps. For some, it is profit motivated; they want to work with as many clients as possible in as short a period of time as possible. Some attorneys take a “one-size fits all”, or a “fill in the blank” approach. For whatever reason, these approaches lead to errors, bad results and unintended consequences. When a lawyer fails to take the time to listen, misses something and doesn’t understand your family’s specific personal circumstances, the result is documents that do not work as they were intended to when you need them the most. Don’t take a chance and leave your loved ones with a failed estate plan.
Call our office now at 719 434-0000 to schedule your Family Estate Planning Session. You may schedule online by clicking here or by email to clientservices@CrisCarterLaw.com.
(719) 434-0000
clientservices@CrisCarterLaw.com
2580 E Harmony Road, Suite 201 Fort Collins, CO 80528
Book Your FREE 15-minute phone call
Family Wealth Planning Session
Existing Estate Plan Review & Checkup
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