Ideally, you give them this checklist before your first official meeting, and you can go over it together the day of the meeting. You can download it here: single questionnaire or married questionnaire. I actually have a fillable PDF Client Estate Planning Questionnaire that you’re more than welcome to use. You need a comprehensive but concise questionnaire to elicit all the necessary information to prepare the estate plan. That’s not easy to do on a zoom call, but people are different so give them the option. So they’ll want to size you up personally. But in my 25 years of practicing, I’ve found almost all new clients want to meet personally.Ī unique thing about an estate planning engagement is that, in a sense, the client is hiring you to potentially help when they are gone. If the client (and you) are a good fit, the next step is to have a formal meeting.īe sure to give the client the option of meeting in person or via Zoom. Not to mention the legal recommendations that may accompany a more complex estate. Well, some of that is true, but meetings and calls take at least two or three hours, and every document must be reviewed, important provisions customized, and there are logistics in getting it signed. Some clients invariably believe “it’s all boilerplate” and you “just push a button on the computer” and burp out the forms. Be prepared to explain why things cost what they do. Your goal is to define the entirety of your client’s needs and give your professional recommendation for how to go about it along with a quote.īe sure to define the scope of the engagement and the additional costs for any extra items, what’s included and what is not included. But there are supporting documents required in most engagements, and if the client needs a trust, you’ll need to address funding it. Some clients may not be expecting it during an initial call, so give them a heads up that the personal questions are going to be coming in rapid-fire.Īlmost all estate planning is quoted on a fixed fee, and the fixed fee includes the consultations and the documents. Remember that finances are sensitive, and there is a lot of personal financial undressing.
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