Before hiring an attorney, we want you to know the Rivers Law difference.

1. We implement flat-rate pricing. No one likes a surprise. And, neither do we. That’s why our legal fees are quoted to you in the form of a flat rate. Our flat-rate pricing encourages you to contact us as much as you want. This enables us to answer all your questions. It also ensures your estate planning documents accurately reflect your wishes.

 

2. We listen. And, then we listen some more. We like to get to know you as a person. We are eager to learn more about your family, jobs, hobbies, and travel plans. We want to hear what you are afraid of and what would make you feel more secure in your life. This, in turn, helps us better plan for you. For example, after digging deeper, we might suggest that you consider implementing asset protection planning, business succession planning, estate tax planning or charitable gift planning, within the terms of your will and revocable trust.

 

3. We are engaged. Our relationship is not the traditional, impersonal attorney-client relationship. We are engaged in conversation, continuous contact, and friendship with you. Our level of engagement fosters thought-provoking dialogue between us and our clients.

 

4. We do things differently. Consider the old way of doing things: Joe meets with an attorney, once at the attorney’s office, and once again to sign a bunch of papers. Joe doesn’t really know what he is signing. However, the attorney sounds impressively knowledgeable, so he goes along with it. Joe is presented with a legal bill that is higher than he had expected because the lawyer charges by the hour, and apparently everything took longer. Joe shoves a binder on his shelf and never thinks about estate planning again. Binder gets dusty. Joe is given a false sense of security that he has done what he needed to do.
   
   Now, consider the new way of doing things: John is referred to Rivers Law by a trusted financial advisor. John is connected to Laura by email, where he then recieves a comprehensive Fee Schedule and Client Intake Form to prepare for the initial client consultation called the “Life and Legacy Planning Session,” held from the convenience of his home via Zoom. During his meeting with Laura, he feels he has found an attorney who will take the time to explain his options to him and create a plan which accurately reflects his wishes. For the second meeting, John meets at Laura's office, this time in-person, to properly sign his documents. John is warmly greeted by the receptionist before being seated in a beautiful conference room. He understands what he will be signing. The legal invoice is exactly what he expected. At the end, John gains peace of mind in knowing that his documents will avoid family disputes and estate litigation after his death. In short, John feels assured that his documents will not fail when they are needed most. John feels confident that Laura will be his trusted advisor throughout the seasons of his life, and that his documents will never grow old and stale. Now for the legal disclaimer: your experience may be different from Joe's or John's experience.

 

5. We make the planning process incredibly easy and painless. We even make it fun! From the initial client consultation, called the “Life and Legacy Planning Session,” to the signing, we take as much of the load off of you as possible, while still making sure your plan is exactly what you want. We have carefully designed our estate planning process and client experience to be extremely personal, time-efficient, and actually enjoyable.

 

6. We understand that estate planning is more than the transfer of assets. We help you pass on the more important things in life. The basic documents included in a typical estate planning package include a Last Will and Testament, Revocable Trust, Certification of Trust, Durable Financial Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, and HIPAA Form. However, we include additional informational documents, beyond the foundational legal documents. For every client, we include a “Three Wishes” worksheet where you can touch on the more sentimental and spiritual aspects of living and dying. For each client who has minor children, we include the Minor Child Protection Plan, which helps you plan for and protect minor children, including guardianship provisions. The Three Wishes worksheet and Minor Child Protection Plan can only be found at our office.