How to Get Started

Estate Planning is Easier Than You Think

By now you've seen that the Pinney Law Firm's approach to estate planning is something special. And, because you love your family and want to keep them out of court and out of conflict when something happens to you, you are ready to take the first steps to get a plan in place. We think that's a great idea. You know your family deserves the kind of protection, guidance and love you can provide for a lifetime. It's important that you know how we work because we do things a bit differently here than at other law firms.

Schedule Your Planning Session

Call our office at (281) 425-1300 to schedule your planning session and ask to speak with Cynthia, our Client Services Director. Cynthia will schedule the most convenient appointment time available for you with our Baytown estate planning lawyer. If she is unable to find a time that works with your schedule, she will have the attorney contact you directly to see what we can do to make it work. If you hope to get in sooner than the first available appointment, we reccomend that you go ahead and secure that appointment and let Cynthia know that you would like to move it if something earlier becomes available.

How Long Is a Planning Session?

When you schedule your planning session, we block 2 hours on our calendar so that we can focus exclusively on you and your family during this time. We will send you a package of information to complete before our time together, which will help you begin the process of getting your legal and financial life in order. During our meeting we will guide you to gently look at what would happen for your loved ones and with your asets if something were to happen to you. And then, we'll look at what you want to happen and help you create a roadmap to get that plan in place as easily as possible. Our clients routinely remark on how easy this process is.

How Much Does a Planning Session Cost?

Our planning session is $300 (1/2 our normal rate), and a deposit must be paid at the time you book your appointment. The balance is due on the day of your appointment. Our new client appointments are limited, this charge ensures we can devote our full attention to you and allow us to properly prepare for our meeting. If we agree to create a comprehensive plan for you, the planning fee is applied to your legal fees for your lifetime estate plan, which makes the session absolutely free.

We are fully aware that life happens and availabilities change. If you are unable to keep your appointment, you can reschedule at no charge so long as you do it at least 7 days in advance. If something comes up at the last minute, we can reschedule you for a small charge. If you do not keep your appointment, and do not make arrangements ahead of time, you will be charged for the session nonetheless.

We understand that this policy may seem unique. So is our law firm. We strive to provide the very best service to those families who are looking for a long-term relationship with a trusted advisor. We spend most of our energy doing our best to provide a high degree of service to our existing clients and limit the number of new clients we see each week. Our Baytown estate lawyer only takes referrals from trusted professional planning partners. As a result, we must secure your appointment time so that if something comes up and you can't attend your appointment, we will have enough advance notice to open the slot to a waiting family.

What to Do Before Your Planning Session

Once you have scheduled your appointment with our estate planning lawyer, you will receive our special inventory and assessment and other important information to review prior to our meeting. We must have your paperwork returned to our office at least three days prior to your session or we will have to reschedule your time with us. Feel free to call the office at any time if you need assistance completing your assessment or have any questions at all.

If you have existing estate planning documents, please make sure we get those at least a week before our meeing so that our estate lawyer has time to fully review them prior to meeting with you.

What to Expect at Your Planning Session

On the day of your meeting, please expect to spend up to 2 hours with your Baytown estate lawyer. The initial meeting has two purposes:

1. To identify whether there is a good fit between you and our attorney who will become your personal lawyer and...

2. To educate you about the law and what would happen if you died with your current (or no) plan in place.

By looking at what would happen under your current situation, you can identify what you would want to happen differently and then, together with your lawyer's guidance, make the decisions that are necessary (including choosing your own fee) to give you the peace of mind of knowing your family will stay out of court and out of conflict when something happens to you.

Assuming you you and our Baytown estate planning attorney determine there is a good fit between our firm and your family AND that you identify specific ways you would want things to happen that are different than what would be in place if something happened to you, you and your lawyer can design a plan for your family right away.

What Happens Next?

Once you and your estate lawyer have completed design of your plan, we schedule a meeting for you to sign your planning documents approximately 4 weeks later.

During that time, we review your documents to ensure that everything you own will be titled for maximum protection for you and your family. We will also contact you either by phone or by email to confirm the details of your plan.

On the day you sign your documents, your assets and your family are protected as discussed during your design meeting. On that day, you will also have the opportunity to preserve some of your priceless assets during a special interview.

At our final meeting during the planning stage of our relationship, we verify that all of your asset transfers are moving forward on track whether we are taking the lead or you are taking the lead with our guidance. We ensure that all of your questions are answered and remind you that you can make changes to any of your documents at no charge within 90 days of signing. Of course we are always available to answer your questions at any time in the future. And, there's no charge for that.

What Happens After I Sign My Estate Planning Documents and Take Them Home?

After the planning phase is complete, the maintenance phase of your plan will begin. At no additional charge, we review your plan at least every three years and keep you informed about changes in the law and other issues that affect your family and your wealth.

Finally, we are always here for you and don't charge you for phone calls, faxes, or emails. We welcome your communications!

You'll be amazed at how easy and painless the entire estate planning process will be for you and your family.