Frequently Asked Questions

Estate planning isn’t about how much money you have — it’s about the people who depend on you. If you own a home, have savings or retirement accounts, or have a spouse or children who count on you, you have something worth protecting.

Most of our clients are everyday Wisconsin families, not the ultra-wealthy. The real question isn’t “am I rich enough?” — it’s “do I want my family to have clear answers, or be left guessing?”

A will tells the court how you’d like your property distributed — but assets passed through a will still generally go through Wisconsin probate court, a process that’s public, and can take many months.

A revocable living trust is designed to let your family skip probate entirely for assets held in the trust. You keep full control during your lifetime, and you can change it anytime. Most families who want to make things as simple as possible for their loved ones choose a trust-based plan.

Full, complete trust-based estate plans start at $3,000, quoted as a flat fee before any work begins — never a surprise hourly bill. Your exact quote depends on what your plan includes, and you’ll get a clear number during your free consultation, before you commit to anything.

Most clients complete their full estate plan within a few weeks of their first consultation. The timeline mostly depends on how quickly we gather information about your assets and finish reviewing drafts together. We’ll never rush you through something this important, but we also won’t let it drag on.

You don’t have to come to an office at all. We meet the way that works best for you — by video call, over the phone, at your home, or at another mutually convenient location, anywhere in Wisconsin. Every document is just as legally binding whether we meet in person or on a screen.

It’s common, and it’s fixable. Life changes — a move, a marriage, a new child, a new home — and an old will may no longer reflect what you actually want, or may not take full advantage of tools like a trust to avoid probate. We can review what you already have and build from there; you don’t need to start from scratch.

Not on its own, and this is one of the most common mistakes we see. Leaving money directly to a loved one with a disability can actually disqualify them from Medicaid, SSI, or other government benefits. A special needs trust lets you provide for their care and comfort without putting those benefits at risk. If this applies to your family, it’s worth raising early in your consultation.

Yes — and you should. We recommend reviewing your plan every three to five years, or sooner after a major life event like a marriage, divorce, new child or grandchild, move, or a significant change in assets. We’re always available to help you make updates as life changes.