For Professional Advisors

The Estate Planning Team

     We see the process of assisting our client families as inter-disciplinary. That is to say, no one member of a client’s group of advisors is more important than the others.

     We believe that collaboration with our client’s other advisors yields a more comprehensive result. That includes keeping our colleagues on the planning team in the loop on relevant matters.

     We encourage you to attend meetings with the client. Further, we appreciate communication with you during the process of planning and implementation, so that the legal and financial aspects of the client’s world are on the same channel.

The Process

Step One: The Initial Consultation

     We offer all prospective clients a complimentary initial consultation. With the clients' permission, we encourage you to attend this initial consultation as well. If this cannot be arranged, we will seek the clients' permission to discuss their estate planning with you afterward.

     During this first meeting, we will spend approximately an two hours with your clients. After listening to your clients' needs, plans and goals, Warren & Martzin, L.L.C. will generally make some estate planning recommendations. If the situation is complex, we will ask for a follow-up meeting to present a summary and specific recommendations.

     After making recommendations, we will usually quote a flat fee for design, drafting and implementation of the plans. Your clients then may choose to engage our firm by signing an engagement letter and tendering approximately two-thirds of our quoted fee. They may choose to take some time to reflect before moving ahead.

Step Two: Signing the Documents

     Should your clients choose to engage our firm at this point, a follow-up meeting to sign documents and begin implementation of the plan will be scheduled ... normally within a week to ten days.

Step Three: Follow-Up

     We have an extensive follow-up system, which we believe helps build stronger client relationships. Each of our clients will receive a follow-up letter after their plan is complete, a client satisfaction survey, and a continued subscription to our estate planning newsletter. Through the newsletter we attempt to keep our clients informed of changes that could affect their planning, and to help them maintain an awareness of their estate planning goals. In this manner we hope to ensure that our clients' plans are never out-of-date with their current needs and goals. Every two years they will receive a personal letter encouraging them to come in to review their plans and make any necessary changes.

Resources

Client Education

     Please visit our Client Resource Center for an online library of articles on issues related to estate planning. We have posted a number of articles suitable for use as hand-outs to your clients. Additionally, we offer the following to assist you:

• The Exit Planning Review. This newsletter provides useful information to your business owner clients on succession and other transitional issues.
• Seminars on topics such as estate planning, business exit planning, and special needs concerns.

How We Can Help You

     We can help you reinforce your client relationships by speaking at client appreciation seminars, or at workshops for your prospective clients. Contact us at 864.281.1282, or .

     Also, we enjoy helping our advisor-colleagues by discussing hypothetical situations with which they are dealing.