What to expect at an Estate Administration intake appointment
When you schedule your complimentary intake appointment, the attorney will send you an Intake Form. You can choose whether to receive this form by mail or email. You will complete this form prior to your Intake Appointment and bring it with you to your appointment. Expect that this form will take some time to complete. The information in the form is important so that your Intake Appointment is as productive as possible and you can discuss which Estate Administration services will best meet your needs. The Intake Appointment is important because it allows you and the attorney to evaluate whether she is the right fit for you as an attorney and you are the right fit for her as a client. Even if either of you decides not to move forward with representation, any information shared during the consultation remains strictly confidential. After the appointment, if you both agree to proceed with representation, the attorney will send you an Engagement Letter and Fee Agreement.
Probate, Small Estate and other Estate Administration clients have a wide variety of needs. Each estate is unique as to how complicated they will be to administer, and often the complexity of the estate is not apparent at the beginning of the process. For this reason, an hourly rate provides the best billing option for estates. Estates that are simpler to administer and consequently take fewer attorney hours, will result in a smaller overall attorney fee. Conversely, estates that end up being more complex and will take more attorney hours, will result in an appropriately larger overall attorney fee. Your hourly fee and projected costs will be explained to you both at your intake appointment and in a written Fee Agreement.