Our Planning Process

Clients are frequently concerned about the planning process. How long will it take? Will it hurt? How much will it cost? The answer is probably “some” on all counts.

• On the other hand, can you imagine the confusion caused by an estate without a Will?

• Or what would happen if a non-working spouse is left with small children and the estate of their loved one has more debt than assets?
• Or what happens to your children while the court works out the fight over who will raise your children?
• Or if the IRA still has the named beneficiary as your first spouse to whom you have not been married for 10 years?
• Or imagine writing a check to the IRS for 45 - 55% of an estate?

All of these reasons and many more are the reasons you should take immediate action to get “doing a Will” also known as “estate planning” off your to-do list. We try to make the very emotional nature of the planning process as painless as possible and we try to be as time and cost efficient as possible based upon the circumstances of your estate. Because we also include the powers of attorney and requisite health care directives and this is not just a “Will”. You will also be required to do “homework” because we will need to verify and confirm beneficiary designations and account setups so that you can be assured that your estate will pass as you have planned it to at your death.

How long will it take and how do we start the process?

• Make an Appointment. We can be contacted by email at kim@thrashlawfirm.com or (512) 263-5400 to set up an appointment to talk to Erin Thrash.
• Obtain an Estate Planning Workbook. Kim or one of our other assistants will get some pertinent information from you and send you the appropriate data form or you can download the applicable form from this website. Our workbooks are designed to be thought provoking and complete, any questions you are unable to answer we can discuss in our complimentary meeting.
• Schedule your Initial Meeting. Our initial appointment is complimentary. This appointment will allow us to visit and determine the size of your plan, whether or not we can work together to get your plan completed and if we can complete it within your time frame. If so, we can design the plan at the first meeting or set another meeting in which to do so.
• Homework. Designing your plan usually requires “homework” for you. Our part will be to ”build” your unique planning documents. Often the documents are dependent upon the answers provided by the homework but once the “homework” is complete, we can begin to build the plan.
• Design Meeting. Once the documents are completed we will go over the documents in my office at our next meeting.
• Signing Meeting. At the “signing” meeting we will review the documents and sign with the requisite formalities and assign “post-signing homework”
• Funding and Homework Meeting. The project is complete when you have a plan designed to protect your loved ones and your property; you have “funded” your entities, we have reviewed all of your beneficiary designations on retirement and life insurance benefits and verified that they coordinate with the plan as it was designed and you understand the plan.

How much will it cost?

Our estate planning fees are usually “project fees” based upon the size and extent of the project but you will know what they are when you contract for the work. Our basic plans project fees start as low as $600 and increase based upon complexity. We make every effort to be as accessible as possible without you having to worry about each call to our office costing you money.

Due to the nature of the work, our post-death trust administration and probate fees are based upon hourly rates.

Will it hurt?

Our planning doesn’t hurt too much! We do discuss important topics that are not usual conversation for most couples or families which can be somewhat uncomfortable. However, topics like your property distribution at your death, whether or not you would like to have “the plug pulled” in the event that you are in an irreversible or terminal condition, or whether you would like to be buried or cremated are important for your family to know. Uncomfortable maybe, but necessary. Rarely does it hurt and it feels great to have it done.

So whether you are seeking our assistance after the death of a family member or friend or partner, for the probate of an estate, trust administration or other, or you need to plan for your death and to protect your hard earned assets (although I have represented several Lottery winners!), estate planning, probate and administration and / or asset protection all begin with your call to our office to start the process.