PREMIER ESTATE PLANNING SERVICEs
Estate planning is an important step in preparing your legacy and ensuring your wishes are followed after you pass away.
THE TYPICAL ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS WE DRAFT INCLUDE:
LAST WILL & TESTAMENT
A Last Will & Testament commonly referred to as a Will, is a legal document that outlines how a deceased person’s estate should be distributed and what should happen to any minor children. Without a Will, a person’s estate is distributed according to the state’s intestacy laws, potentially making distribution complicated and different than what the decedent may have wanted. Even if a loved one made verbal wishes while they were alive, if they are not written down in a will, the person in charge of the estate will have to follow state laws instead. The creation of a Will can also simplify the probate process and lower the costs of administration.
DURABLE GENERAL POWER OF ATTORNEY
A Durable General Power of Attorney, most commonly known as simply a “Power of Attorney,” gives specific powers to a named person (known as the agent or attorney-in-fact) to act on your behalf while you are alive. Powers can include handling financial transactions, making financial gifts, managing insurance policies, selling property, and managing digital assets, to name a few. Powers of Attorney can be put in place immediately, or you can choose to have the Power of Attorney go into effect upon if you become incompetent and unable to make your own decisions. A Power of Attorney has no effect after a person passes away.
HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
A Health Care Power of Attorney allows a named person to make medical decisions on your behalf only in the event that you are unconscious, incompetent, or unable to make decisions on your own. You may want a Health Care Power of Attorney before going into surgery, for example, so the doctors and hospital know who to talk to if needed.
ADVANCE DIRECTIVE FOR A NATURAL DEATH (“LIVING WILL”)
Living Wills detail a person’s wishes for achieving a natural death. This includes but is not limited to decisions about life support, artificial nutrition, and what you may want to be done you’re your body after you die. With your wishes in writing, family members know what your wishes are and do not have to make tough decisions.
Choose the Estate Plan Package that serves your needs.
Simple
Individual- Last Will & Testament
- Filing of Will at Courthouse (Optional)
- Estate Information Guide
- *$500 for a Couple
Enhanced
Individual- Last Will & Testament
- Durable General Power of Attorney
- HC POA/Advance Directive
- Filing of Will at Courthouse (Optional)
- Separate HIPAA Release (Optional)
- Estate Information Guide
- *$700 for a Couple
Comprehensive
Individual- Revocable Trust Agreement
- Last Will & Testament
- Durable General Power of Attorney
- HC POA/Advance Directive
- Filing of Will at Courthouse (Optional)
- Separate HIPAA Release (Optional)
- Assignment of Personal Effects (Optional)
- One NC QuitClaim Deed to Trust (including filing fee) (Optional)
- Estate Information Guide
- *$1900 for a Couple
PRICING DISCLAIMER
Our office makes every effort to individually price each estate plan, however, the pricing table above acts as a standard for us in quoting fees. Some variation may occur where unusual estate planning needs have to be addressed or when the client’s wishes are more or less complex than what is typical. During the initial consultation, you will be provided with an exact quote for services and an explanation of how we arrived at that price.
Additional fees may be quoted at the time of service for:
- Assistance with changing beneficiaries
- Complex/custom provisions
- Consent for health care for a minor
- HIPAA release
- Irrevocable trust planning
- Recording of additional documents
- Testamentary trust provisions
- Travel time for an attorney (if travel required)
- Travel time for witnesses (if witnesses are needed)
The Typical Estate Planning Documents We Draft Include:
- Last Will and Testament
- Durable General Power of Attorney
- Health Care Power of Attorney
- Advanced Directive for a Natural Death (“Living Will”)
Individualized Estate Planning
While we do package estate planning documents for a lot of our clients and charge one reasonable flat fee for the drafting of all the documents at one time, our attorneys understand that people have unique situations that do not neatly fit into our packages and require more specific plans. For example, we regularly draft NC Revocable Living Trusts for our clients after full discussion of the benefits and detriments of such an addition to the estate planning package, as well as testamentary trusts to our Wills to handle children getting assets from a Will. We can help with individualized North Carolina estate plans, including Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, and other documents that assist with individualized needs for our North Carolina clients.
NON-AMBULATORY CLIENTS
For clients who are non-ambulatory or have difficulty traveling, please communicate the situation when you contact our office and we will make arrangements to consult in your home. It is important to us that we are available and can meet the needs of all of our clients. We regularly visit clients and provide consultation over the kitchen table, at a nursing home, or in a hospital on occasion.
CONTACT US FOR HELP WITH YOUR ESTATE PLAN
At Hopler, Wilms, & Hanna, PLLC, you can select any or all of the documents in an estate planning package or receive individualized planning. If you’d like to inquire about an estate planning package or another document, contact us today.
Service Features
- Get a one week turnaround from the receipt of all information needed to complete your plan. Complex plans may take more time.
- We also provide same day or next day turnaround if circumstances demand it, such as international business trips or dire prognosis from a medical problem.
Pricing Disclaimer
Our office make every effort to individually price each estate plan, but the pricing table above acts as a standard for us in quoting fees. Some variation may occur where unusual estate planning needs have to be addressed or the client’s wishes are more complex or less complex that what is typical. At the time of consultation, you will be provided with an exact quote for services and an explanation of how we arrived at that price.
As North Carolina Attorneys, we serve people and businesses all over the State of North Carolina with assistance on a variety of legal issues.
Durham
(919) 244-2019
2314 S. Miami Blvd., Suite 151 Durham, North Carolina 27703We Are Grateful for The Recognition of Our Service to You
