At Varian Law LLC, we work closely with other professional advisors, including Certified Financial Planner™ Practitioners, investment advisors, financial consultants, insurance professionals, Certified Public Accountants, and other tax advisors as part of a comprehensive estate planning team. We believe the team approach provides our mutual clients with the most comprehensive, effective and efficient estate plan.
At Varian Law LLC, we have an organized and systematic approach to the estate planning process that will help uncover the potential estate planning problems that a potential client may have and enables us to develop specifically tailored solutions that will help achieve their goals. Effective interaction between our clients’ various professional advisors helps ensure that their overall planning is coordinated, consistent and comprehensive. We always encourage and welcome other advisors’ participation at any stage of the planning process.
Comprehensive estate planning is not something that can be wrapped up in a day or two - There are a myriad of tasks that must be carefully performed in order to properly design an estate plan.
The first step in the planning process involves gathering accurate and detailed information about a potential client’s personal and financial situation. We will need this pertinent information in order to gain a full understanding of their unique needs, desires and goals. Understanding their individual circumstances is absolutely critical to formulating any meaningful recommendations. Sometimes this step will involve obtaining copies of some key documents that we may need to review. We prefer to learn a lot about a potential client in advance of our first meeting so that it will be as productive as possible.
The second step would consist of one or more meetings during which we would discuss a variety of topics, such as their personal goals/objectives and the planning strategies and legal documents that we would recommend based on their particular circumstances. Among other things, during these meetings we would listen carefully to their concerns, educate them on the laws which may impact their estate and explain our rationale for the recommendations that we will make.
The third step is the implementation phase. Certainly no plan is complete unless it is implemented, which would likely involve the preparation or modification of various estate planning documents, lifetime gifting strategies and the purchase of various financial products.
The fourth step is the ongoing review phase. People who receive the most benefits and protections from their estate plans are those who review them regularly. After the initial implementation is complete, a periodic review of an estate plan would be necessary to ensure that it continues to achieve the client’s objectives, properly addresses any changes to their circumstances and remains in compliance with any changes to the applicable laws. Additionally, the annual administration of any inter vivos trusts and the filing of Gift/GST Tax Returns may also be necessary.
Every professional organization has different processes, and different methods for interacting with clients. We are happy to work within your processes, or blend our respective methodologies. Our primary goal is to serve the needs of our clients and we welcome the opportunity to serve them within the team environment.
