Questions
Plans, fees and helping a parent
Answers in plain words. If yours isn’t here, ask on the free call.
Plans
Which plan do I need?
Most people with children and a home start with the will plan. A trust plan earns its cost if you want to skip probate on a house or hold an inheritance for a while. The first call settles it.
Can we do everything by video?
Everything except the signing, which needs witnesses and a notary. We hold it at our office or your home, or arrange one near you if you’re further away.
How long does a plan take?
Most will plans are signed within a month of the questionnaire coming back. Trust plans take a little longer because of the deed and the accounts.
Fees
What isn’t in the flat fee?
County recording fees, court filing fees, appraisals and record copies. They’re billed at what they cost us, and the fees page lists them for each plan.
When do I pay?
Half when you sign the engagement letter and half at the signing.
Do you charge for phone calls or emails?
Not while the plan is under way. Questions are part of the fee.
Helping a parent
Who is the client when I call about my mother?
Your mother. We’ll talk with her, partly alone, and the plan follows her wishes. You can join the other calls if she agrees.
My father lives in a care home two hours away. Can you help?
Yes. We meet him by video with the staff’s help, and arrange a local notary for the signing.
When should we start Medicaid planning?
As early as you can, because of the look-back on gifts. But it helps at any stage, even after a move into care.
A question we didn’t answer?
Ask it on a free 20-minute call, or write to hello@vandermolenkaul.com.