Exploring Effective Strategies for Avoiding Probate
- By: Laura C. Rivers
- Sep 03 2024
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Flat-Rate Pricing
Online Forms and
Client Portal
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Attorney
Estate Planning is What We Do
Welcome to Rivers Law! We practice exclusively in estate planning and related areas, allowing us to establish a strong niche. We work closely with individuals and families to create and implement personalized estate plans that will protect their loved ones and assets throughout their lifetime, and upon their passing, will transfer their assets to their intended beneficiaries in the most tax-efficient, seamless and private way possible.
Plan Today
Not having an estate plan can lead to several risks:
1.
Intestate Succession: Your assets will be distributed according to default state laws instead of your wishes.
2.
Probate Delays: The estate may face lengthy and costly probate administration.
3.
Higher Taxes: Lack of planning can result in increased tax liabilities.
4.
Guardianship Issues: You will not have a say in who cares for your minor children.
5.
Family Disputes: Ambiguity can cause conflicts among heirs.
6.
Loss of Control: You cannot control how assets are managed or distributed during incapacity or after your passing.
7.
Difficult Healthcare Decisions: A family may struggle to make difficult medical decisions without your directions for end-of-life treatment.
Creating an estate plan and regularly updating it helps mitigate these risks and ensures your wishes are followed.
What Makes Us Different
We want you to know what makes us different.
1.
We implement flat-rate pricing. No one likes a surprise. And, neither do we. That’s why our legal fees are quoted in a single, 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 about your concerns and what would make you feel more secure in your life. This, in turn, helps us better plan for you.
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.
4.
We make the planning process 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 you as possible, while still making sure your plan is exactly what you want. We have carefully crafted our estate planning process to be extremely personal, organized, and actually enjoyable.
5.
We are a One-Stop Shop. After helping hundreds of people, we can properly address any kind of situation presented to us. We can help you plan for minor children, adult children, blended families in second marriages, tax minimization, asset protection, incapacity planning, and everything in between. No matter what your situation is, we are here to help you.
What People Are Saying
Client Testimonials
Last Will and Testament
Specifies a person’s wishes for the distribution of probate assets at death and appoints a guardian for minor children.
Revocable Trust
A flexible legal arrangement created during a person’s lifetime to hold assets which will avoid the probate process.
Financial Power of Attorney
Enables an individual to grant another person the legal authority to make financial decisions and manage assets on their behalf.
Health Care Power of Attorney
Allows an individual to appoint another person to make medical decisions on their behalf.
HIPAA Authorization
Gives permission to healthcare providers to share medical information to certain individuals.
Living Will
Details a person’s preferences for end-of-life medical care, including the decision to withdraw life-sustaining measures.
Meet Laura C. Rivers, J.D., LL.M.
Laura has practiced law for more than fifteen years. She is licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina. She strives to build long-lasting relationships with her clients by rendering sophisticated advice, delivering positive client experiences, and obtaining favorable outcomes. Laura earned an LL.M. degree from Georgetown University with Honors where she learned advanced topics in tax and estate planning. In addition, she has experience in probate and trust administration, business organizations, real estate, and family law. With her knowledge in these areas, she can provide practical planning advice from a comprehensive, multifaceted perspective. Laura has helped hundreds of people with their estate planning.
The Process
What does the planning process look like?
1.
Client Intake Form. Conveniently fill out the online client intake form from your computer or mobile device.
2.
Life and Legacy Planning Session. Schedule your initial consultation called the “Life and Legacy Planning Session,” held via Zoom. Sign electronic engagement letter. Pay half of your flat-rate fee using online payment options.
3.
Review drafts. Review drafts in your secure online client portal. Your client portal allows you to securely share documents, send messages, and stay on task.
4.
Execute Documents. Schedule a meeting with Laura at our office to sign your documents before two witnesses and a notary. Pay the balance of your legal fees. Receive final instructions to implement your plan.
Your Experience Matters
At Rivers Law, we have crafted a streamlined process through trial and error over many years. We are focused on your client experience to ensure it is a positive one.
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: Amelia is referred to Rivers Law by a trusted financial advisor. Amelia is connected to Laura by email, where she then receives 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 her home via Zoom. During her meeting with Laura, she feels she has found an attorney who will take the time to explain her options to her and create a plan which accurately reflects her wishes. After the meeting, Amelia and Laura communicate via a secure online Client Portal, and Amelia even receives a link to a personalized explanatory video that she can watch on her own time. For the second meeting, Amelia meets at Laura’s office, this time in-person, to properly sign her documents. Amelia is warmly greeted by the receptionist before being seated in a beautiful conference room. She understands what she will be signing. The legal invoice is exactly what she expected. In the end, Amelia gains peace of mind and feels confident that Laura will be her trusted advisor throughout the seasons of her life. Now for the legal disclaimer: your experience may be different from Joe’s experience or Amelia’s experience.
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