Estate Planning in Utah

Absolutely not! Everyone has an estate- whether it is $20 in the bank or millions.  Your estate includes everything from your checking or savings accounts, brokerage accounts, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts, business interests, or intellectual property to your house or real estate, vehicles, other personal property, and more.  An estate plan is simply determining where these assets go when we pass away and under what circumstances. 

If you have minor children or children with special needs, your estate plan should include naming guardians for your children and protecting them from receiving their entire inheritance at age 18.

An estate plan is simply determining where your assets go when you pass away and under what circumstances.  

A Will is useful to name guardians for your minor children, name beneficiaries for an asset or account you own, and for naming a personal representative- the person in charge of executing the Will and wrapping up your affairs and estate when you are gone.  

In contrast to a Trust, a Will does not provide any protection during your life nor during the lives of any surviving spouse, children, or grandchildren. A Will simply transfers property at death.  And a Will must go through probate court, becomes public, is unable to control most property, and if you have minor children with only a Will, they will receive their entire inheritance in a lump sum at age 18 with no enforceable instructions or guidelines.

Yes, you can do just about anything on your own for less than hiring a professional.  However, going cheap on some things, like a parachute, surgeon, or fire extinguisher, can lead to devastating consequences. Estate planning is no different. It is worth the investment to have your estate plan done right.  It is not uncommon for DIY wills & trusts and generic template forms to not do what you intend.  These plans often end up with families in conflict and in court trying to sort out a mess because something was either left out or drafted poorly.  An estate planning attorney who is committed to providing you a comprehensive estate plan will save you and your loved ones time, money, and heartache.  When you are working with an attorney, you are paying for the guidance and counseling about what your options are to reach your goals, as well as what documents you need and how they should be drafted.

We do all the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to.  You can expect to have your completed estate planning documents in three simple steps that take four weeks or less.  

The first step is to have a 1:1 Legacy Planning session with attorney Marne Pehrson.  Here, you will share your goals and objectives, Marne will explain your options, and after choosing which of our unique flat rate packages works best for you, payment will be taken in full, and an engagement letter will be signed by both you and Marne.  Then, we will get to work drafting your documents.  

The second step is your document review.  After your documents have been drafted, we will send you a recording explaining them that you can watch at your convenience.  You will have the opportunity to ask as many clarifying questions you need and request changes.  We will answer your questions and make any necessary changes.

After you have approved your documents, the third step is your Signing Ceremony.  This is generally done in our office where we provide two witnesses and a notary. 

It depends.  Because we believe that one size does not fit all, we do not give quotes or estimates without spending a little time getting to know you and educating you on your options. However, all of our services are done with our unique flat rate pricing that is shared upfront at your Legacy Planning meeting, so there are no surprises.

Unfortunately, we do not stand behind documents we have not drafted and, therefore, do not make changes to documents drafted by others.  However, revocable trusts are generally modifiable and even revocable if the creator is alive and has capacity.  Life, families, and circumstances change, and your trust may need to change with it. We are happy to discuss options to update or to restate your documents. 

Estate planning is an area of law that is state-specific. That means you should work with an attorney licensed in the state in which you reside or own property. Our attorneys are licensed in Utah and Arizona. So, if you live in or own property in Utah or Arizona, we would love to prepare your estate planning documents. If you do not, we will be happy to refer you to an attorney licensed in your state.