Putting together a trust, a will, and the related healthcare and financial documents can feel like a project that gets pushed to “someday.” Our estate planning service was built to remove that friction. Instead of open-ended legal drafting, we pair you with a purpose-built software platform and sit with you, in person or over Zoom, while you build your documents step by step.
It’s important to be upfront about what this is and isn’t. We are not attorneys, and we do not draft or create your documents for you. What we provide is the tool, the guidance, and the follow-through: access to the platform, a knowledgeable person walking through it with you, help getting everything printed and notarized, and a clear plan for what happens next.
What the Software Does
The platform we use does more than generate blank templates.
If you already have an estate plan, it can review your existing documents and produce a detailed summary of what it finds: outdated provisions, potential conflicts with current law, or inconsistencies worth a second look.
For example, some older trusts include instructions written around the assumption that an adult child could leave money in an inherited retirement account for decades. Under current law, most inherited IRAs and 401(k)s have to be emptied within 10 years, so that kind of provision no longer holds up and needs to be updated.
The software checks for that kind of thing, along with other more routine issues, like clerical errors or missing signatures, and hands us a summary we can walk through with you together.
If you’re starting fresh, the platform guides you through building a trust (which also creates a pour-over will), along with the standard companion documents: an advance healthcare directive, a healthcare power of attorney, and a financial power of attorney. It asks the questions that matter, like who you want to name as trustee, who should have guardianship of minor children, and whether you want to delay a child’s access to inherited funds past age 18, and builds your documents from your answers.
The software is flexible enough to handle what most families are looking for, but it does have limits. It can, for example, set a delayed distribution age for a minor beneficiary. It generally cannot build in highly specific conditions, like releasing funds only if a beneficiary graduates from college or holds a job by a certain date. If your goals call for that level of customization, that’s a sign you need an estate planning attorney rather than a self-guided platform, and we’ll tell you that directly.
Who This Is a Good Fit For
This process works well for the majority of families who come to us. If any of the following sounds like you, this is likely a fit:
- You want a straightforward trust and will that leaves everything to a spouse and then to your children, without complicated conditions attached.
- You have minor children and need to name a guardian, and possibly delay their access to inherited funds until an older age.
- You want the standard companion documents in place too: an advance healthcare directive, a healthcare power of attorney, and a financial power of attorney.
- You already have an estate plan but haven’t looked at it in years and want a check for outdated or conflicting provisions.
- You’d rather have someone walk you through the process step by step than tackle it alone, but don’t need custom legal drafting.
This process is probably not the right fit if any of the following applies to you:
- You want very specific or conditional terms written into your documents, such as releasing funds only if a beneficiary meets certain milestones.
- Your net worth is approaching or exceeding the federal estate tax exemption ($15 million for an individual, $30 million for a married couple), where advanced tax planning strategies come into play.
- Your family or asset situation is unusually complex, such as a blended family with competing interests, business succession issues, or property in multiple states or countries.
If any of those describe your situation, we’ll say so upfront and point you toward an estate planning attorney who can handle the more complex work.
How the Process Actually Works
- Sign the agreement and pay the down payment. This gets your file started.
- Create your login. If you’re meeting with us in the office, we’ll get you set up on the spot. If we’re meeting over Zoom, you’ll create your login and share your screen so we can walk through everything together.
- Build your documents together. We go through the platform with you one section at a time, explaining what each question means and why it matters, filling in information about your family, your assets, and your wishes as we go.
- Review and finalize. Once everything is complete, we review the documents with you before anything is signed.
- Print, sign, and notarize. If you’re in the office, we print everything on the spot. Most of our staff are notaries, so signing and notarizing can happen the same day. If you’re out of town, we’ll print and send your documents with detailed instructions marking exactly where you, a witness, or a notary needs to sign or initial.
- Walk out with a finished plan. You leave with a folder containing every signed document, along with a written checklist of next steps: retitling your home or accounts into the trust, updating beneficiary designations, opening or adjusting bank accounts, and other steps to make sure your plan is actually funded and enforceable, not just signed.
What About Larger Estates?
For most families, this process covers exactly what they need: a plan that puts assets in order, provides for a spouse and children, and names the right people to make decisions if something happens.
But for clients whose net worth is approaching or exceeding the federal estate tax exemption (currently $15 million for an individual or $30 million for a married couple), more advanced tax planning strategies may be worth exploring.
When we see that on the horizon, whether from a business sale, real estate, or other appreciating assets, we’ll flag it and refer you to an estate planning attorney who can advise on those more complex strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as hiring an estate planning attorney?
No. We are not attorneys, and we don’t draft your documents. We provide access to a guided software platform and walk you through using it. The documents are created by you, from your own answers, using the platform’s built-in legal templates.
Can you review an estate plan I already have?
Yes. The software can scan an existing trust or will and generate a summary of provisions that may be outdated or worth revisiting, which we then go over with you.
Do I need to come into the office to do this?
No. We work with clients in person or over Zoom. Either way, you’ll create your own login and complete the documents yourself, with us walking through each step alongside you.
What happens after my documents are signed?
You’ll leave with a complete, signed set of documents and a written checklist covering the practical next steps: funding your trust, updating beneficiary designations, and any account changes needed to make your plan effective.
What if I need something highly specific, like conditional inheritance terms?
The software can handle a wide range of common provisions, but very specific or unusual conditions are outside what it’s built for. In those cases, we’ll let you know an estate planning attorney is the better fit.
How much does this cost, and how do I get started?
Contact our office to schedule a consultation. We’ll walk you through the agreement, the down payment, and get your login created so we can begin.
Is This a Fit for Your Family?
Determining if our guided approach is the right path for your estate planning goals starts with a simple, no-cost conversation. We invite you to explore how this process can work for you.
Feldmeyer Financial Group offers the tools, guidance, and notarization services needed to move your plan from a draft to a finished. To get started, reach out to us at 937-907-6501.