Why Our Clients Hire Us

1.  They are concerned about the tax they or their estate may have to pay.  The estate tax is in flux, and it's hard to know what to expect.  With soaring deficits, record debt, and a liberal political climate, no one we know really expects the estate tax to disappear.  Our clients remain updated and ready for anything.

2.  They have large IRA or 401(k) accounts and want to avoid the potential 'triple taxation' that often accompanies these accounts when they are inherited.  Planning with retirement account assets can be complicated.  We understand the tax rules and help you apply them so your critical savings are protected.

3.  They have minor children and want to make sure their children would never enter foster care.  If the unthinkable happens to you and your spouse, the police who go to your home aren't going to read and interpret your will.  They will call DCFS who will make a determination about where your children will go until permanent guardians are identified and located.  Who knows where they will send them?  Our clients have a "First Response" packet that gives legal authority to immediate temporary guardians so your children would never go to a stranger's house in the middle of an already tragic situation.

4.  They want a relationship with a trusted fiduciary who is experienced with both the legal and financial aspects of estate planning.  Brent Ripley, the firm's founder and lead attorney is also the President of Jamestown Capital Group, a fee only Registered Investment Adviser.  His clients enjoy comprehensive estate planning from both legal and financial viewpoints, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

 

5.  They want to avoid family infighting and the potential for hard feelings.  Money often does bad things to good people.  Our clients' wishes are clear and enforceable, which heads off misunderstandings and hard feelings before they occur.

6.  They have step-children and want to make sure their estate distribution is clear and fair.  Blended family situations pose unique challenges.  Our thoughtful, supportive approach gives you ideas and help in dealing with this often delicate matter.

 

7.  They want to encourage their families to make wise choices with their inheritances.    Sometimes families struggle with challenges that make good money management difficult.  Our clients can incentivize their families to make the right decisions and provide for lasting dependable income.

8.  They have an old and outdated trust that needs to be updated.  Many of our clients come to us with old trusts written by lawyers they haven't heard from in years, sometimes decades.  Our service ensures regular, periodic updates often at no charge to the client.

9.  They want to make sure their medical wishes are understood and respected.

In this era of skyrocketing health care costs, our clients want to make sure their end of life wishes are known and enforceable.

 

A Personal Message From

Brent Ripley, Founder of Legacy Estate Advisors

"Thank you for considering my firm for your estate planning needs.

Throughout my years of estate planning experience, I've seen the same mistakes over and over again. The truth is, the estate planning industry is designed for people who are near death's door - not for people who will live for another 20, 30 even 40 more years, as you probably will.  Most plans quickly become obsolete and they simply don't work as their owners think they will.

At Legacy Estate Advisors, our practice is dedicated to making sure your estate plan protects your family, preserves your assets, and grows with you as you and your family progress through life. We do this a number of ways:

   1. Our law firm schedules regular estate plan update meetings, and our membership programs ensure frequent contact.  This is not a typical estate planning experience where someone drafts your documents,  and then you put them on a shelf and never hear from your lawyer again.  What's more, most clients don't pay anything for these update meetings or any future estate plan changes.

   2. We have a dedicated funding coordinator to make sure your assets remain properly titled. Most other lawyers simply have you sign a letter absolving them of responsibility for any of the estate plan finishing work. This leaves your plan unfinished and at risk. At Legacy Estate Advisors, throughout our relationship, we keep your plan funded and ready for anything.

   3. In addition to being an attorney, I am also the founder and CEO of Jamestown Capital Group, a fee only Registered Investment Adviser.  This means I will understand your investments as well as I understand your estate plan.  You will get the whole picture from me, not just documents.  This ensures nothing falls through the cracks - no more investment advice that conflicts with your estate plan, and no more estate planning documents that are incompatible with the money you've saved.  For more information on our fee-only investment services for qualifying clients, click here. Regardless of who you hire to help you with your investing, I will understand what they are doing and be a second opinion to help make sure you don't make big mistakes with your money.

   4. We also help you preserve your wealth of experience.  While we must protect your money, my clients believe their money isn't everything, and may not even be the most important thing they leave behind.  I agree.  Your insights, experiences, and values should also be preserved.  Through our annual priceless conversations process, we help you record brief, regular conversations where you speak about things that are important to you by answering thoughtful, predesigned questions.  We then record those conversations on a CD, which we place with your estate plan. Imagine how priceless it will be for your family to have these recordings for generations to come!

I have reviewed hundreds of estate plans over the years.  Many of them were old and outdated, and would not have worked the way their owners thought they would have.  Don't let yours be one of them.  Whoever you work with, make sure their practice is devoted to helping you plan for the rest of your life - not just your death."