It depends on the type of consultation. We offer three primary types of Initial Consultations for prospective clients: (1) Estate Planning; (2) Elder Law; and (3) Special Needs.
Estate Planning: For prospective clients interested in Estate Planning only (such as Revocable Living Trusts, Last Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives), we offer a free Estate Planning Consultation of 30 minutes or less to see if our services and fees are good fit for your estate planning needs and budget. At the end of the initial Estate Planning Consultation, if it appears we can assist you in your estate planning goals, we will quote a price for our recommended estate plan. The prospective estate planning client is under no obligation to move forward and can take additional time to decide whether to engage us to prepare the recommended estate plan. Most prospective clients who meet with us are eager to move forward with the estate planning process, and depending on the attorney’s and your schedule, we may be able to sign the Engagement Agreement and proceed to designing your estate plan during the initial appointment. Please note that the Estate Planning Consultation does not include discussions of Elder Law or Special Needs Issues. If you have an interest in both Estate Planning and Elder Law or Special Needs, please request an Elder Law Consultation or a Special Needs Consultation.
Elder Law: For prospective clients interested in Elder Law issues (such as Nursing Home Planning, Medicaid Asset Protection, Medicaid Applications), we offer an Elder Law Consultation for $400. The Elder Law Consultation may last up to one and a half hours. Elder Law and Long-Term Care issues can be very complex. During the Elder Law Consultation, we provide substantive information to educate prospective clients on the Long-Term Care or Medicaid process so they can make informed decisions about how to proceed. We also discuss the details of the prospective client’s financial, family and health situation so we can identify which of our additional Elder Law services we recommend. The Elder Law Consultation is the first step in becoming an Elder Law Client of Fulkerson Elder Law LLC. Please note that a prospective client who is interested in both Estate Planning and Elder Law will be designated an Elder Law prospective client and scheduled for the Elder Law Consultation at the cost of $400. Most Elder Law Clients also have estate planning needs and our recommended plan of action will include an estate planning component if needed.
Special Needs: For prospective clients interested in Special Needs issues (Special Needs Trusts, Counseling on Public Benefits), we offer a Special Needs Consultation for $400. The Special Needs Consultation may last up to one hour. Planning for individuals with Special Needs issues can be very complex. During the Special Needs Consultation, we provide substantive information to educate prospective clients on Special Needs issues so they can make informed decisions about how to proceed. We also discuss the details of the prospective client’s and special need individual’s financial, family and health situation so we can identify which of our additional Special Needs services we recommend. The Special Needs Counseling Consultation is the first step in becoming a Special Needs Client of Fulkerson Elder Law LLC. Please note that a prospective client who is interested in both Estate Planning and Special Needs will be designated a Special Needs prospective client and scheduled for the Special Needs Consultation at the cost of $400. Many Special Needs Clients also have estate planning needs and our recommended plan of action will include an estate planning component if needed.
A large number of firms and lawyers advertise their estate planning services and hold themselves out as estate planning attorneys. It can be difficult to distinguish between lawyers who seem to be offering the same services. We hope the following two factors are involved in your selection of an attorney to guide you through the estate planning process.
First, in deciding who to engage for your estate planning needs, consider whether that attorney or law firm specializes in estate planning or merely includes it among a long list of practice areas. Attorneys can only be highly knowledgeable and experienced in a few limited areas. The more types of law an attorney practices, the less likely it is that the attorney is an expert in any of them. There are several firms in the Liberty and Kansas City area that specialize in estate planning. They would be good places to start. For example, Brett Fulkerson at Fulkerson Elder Law LLC practices exclusively in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law and Special Needs. There is significant overlap in these three areas of law as all three generally involve a component of estate planning. Brett doesn’t handle divorces, bankruptcy, criminal law, personal injury or a host of other legal matters. He practice Estate Planning, Elder Law and Special Needs. That’s it. Whether you ultimately engage Fulkerson Elder Law LLC for your estate planning needs, we hope you will entrust your estate planning to an attorney who specializes in designing and drafting estate plans rather than letting a jack-of-all-trades handle such an important matter.
Second, in deciding who to engage for your estate planning needs, consider an attorney who not only specializes in Estate Planning but also has experience in Elder Law and Special Needs. Most of us that practice Elder Law and Special Needs started out as Estate Planning attorneys and expanded our practices to include these related but more complex areas. Elder Law and Special Needs attorneys offer not only traditional estate planning guidance and plans but we can also design estate plans that incorporate strategies and provisions that provide for Medicaid asset protection or facilitate future long-term care eligibility and planning. Brett Fulkerson started his Estate Planning practice in 2005 and added Elder Law and Special Needs Planning in 2011. He can handle all of your Estate Planning needs and he can also recognize and recommend whether you should add Elder Law or Special Needs components to your plan. Fulkerson Elder Law LLC would like to be the firm you turn to for your estate planning needs. But if not us, we suggest finding another qualified Estate Planning Attorney who also specializes in Elder Law and Special Needs who can not only provide you traditional estate plans but can incorporate long-term care or special needs planning options into your estate plan if needed.
