Demystifying Your First Estate Planning Consultation: What to Expect

Wondering what really happens during an estate planning consultation? Attorneys Greg and Jordan McIntyre pull back the curtain on this often-misunderstood process, revealing a surprisingly relaxed experience that's more like a friendly kitchen table conversation than a formal legal meeting.

Far from being a high-pressure situation, estate planning consultations are designed to be comfortable and informative. As Greg shares, "The best part of my day was meeting with this client, getting to know her and just sitting down and having a consultation." This personable approach puts clients at ease while attorneys gather the essential information needed to create effective estate plans.

During your consultation, expect questions about who you trust in your life, what assets you own, and your wishes for distribution. Don't worry about having all the answers prepared—the attorneys guide you through the process conversationally. If you have previous estate planning documents, bringing them along helps provide valuable context and history for your updated plans. The ultimate goal is identifying your wishes while spotting potential pitfalls where you might lose assets or control.

Ready to experience this refreshingly straightforward approach to securing your legacy? The McIntyre attorneys offer free consultations where you'll find not only expert legal guidance but also their famous office-made chocolate chip cookies. Schedule yours today by calling 1-888-999-6600 or visiting mcelderlawcom.

Episode Transcript

Greg McIntyre (00:02):
how to prepare for an estate planning
consultation with an attorneylike myself or a fellow attorney
, Jordan McIntyre.
Hey Jordan, hey Dad.
I like to start, when I preparefor an estate planning
consultations, with a fewstretches and warmups.
Some circles, you know the armcircles yeah, Jumping jacks.

(00:23):
No, it's really not even thattough.
Um gosh.
I met with someone this morning.
That's the perfect example ofthat.
It was kind of a stressfulmorning.
I don't know I'd gotten upsuper early.
The best part of my day wasmeeting with this client,

(00:46):
getting to know her and justsitting down and having a
consultation.
I came out of it feelingamazing, and I think she did too
.
And, um, I don't know, I thinkpreparing for your estate
planning consult consultation isnot not something you should be
nervous about in any way.
It's as easy as sitting down atthe kitchen table and having a

(01:10):
conversation.
Jordan, we used to.
Always the best part of my daywas sitting down at the kitchen
table in the evening and eatingdinner together.
What's the question I wouldalways ask you and the rest of
the kids?

Jordan McIntyre (01:21):
How was your day?
How was your day?

Greg McIntyre (01:27):
the rest of the kid how was your day?
How was your day?
When I sit down with an estateplanning consultant, I ask how
may I help you?
That's always my question.
Now there's probably somethings that I want to know in
that consultation to help mereach a really good strategic
plan for you.
What might some of those thingsbe?

Jordan McIntyre (01:51):
I'm just going to ask you know as much as I can
about your family and thenfigure out what you have and
where you want it to go.
But really it's just you know,as you're saying, it's a
conversation, so I want to getto know you.
I want to know who do you trustin your life?
If I set up important documentswhere these people are going to
have some pretty importantpowers and authority, let's make
sure you trust them and they'rethe best fit for you, and then

(02:11):
we'll get into.
What property do you have?
What assets do you have?
And then how do you think you'dlike things to go to your kids
or charities?
I'm going to get all that outof you, but it's going to be in
a very conversational back andforth type of way.
I'm not going to make you feelpressured and it's okay if you
come to the consultation notknowing all that.

(02:33):
We'll figure it out.

Greg McIntyre (02:35):
Sure, sure, absolutely.
And you know what about.
If there's been previous estateplanning documents drafted that
they did five, 10 years ago,would they bring those to the
consultation?

Jordan McIntyre (02:50):
Yeah, I'd love to review those and that'll give
me a better picture of you.
Know, maybe you have someindividuals you need to appoint
now as powers of attorneys, butthere's a few changes.
It'll give me an insight intowhat you had done previously and
what changes might need to bemade today.

Greg McIntyre (03:08):
I personally like to scan those things and place
them in our data intake file forthe client so that we can have
those as kind of a historicalrecord to look back on as well
if we're drafting, or just topreserve, to look back on as
well if we're drafting or justto preserve.

(03:29):
So you know, I don't.
I don't think an appointmentwith our office for estate
planning is a high pressuresituation in any way or
something.
I mean, I'm not a dentist, I'mnot going to pull your teeth.
What I am going to do is pullsome information out, which
would be tease some informationout, which would be really I'm

(03:50):
trying to always get to what areyour real wishes?
And, let's say, let's set thegoals for you and what your
wishes are and make those happen, as well as identify pitfalls
or danger zones for you whereyou could lose assets or lose

(04:10):
control of them.
So I'd say, showing up with anyprior estate planning documents,
just ready to have a goodconversation, and some coffee,
water, sparkling water and ourhomemade I guess they're not
made at home, they're madeoffice made chocolate chip

(04:32):
cookies, which are pretty good.
They're good stuff.
It's what would consist of aconsultation with us.
So you know generally, throughtaking inventory of what we have
the people in our lives we canreally identify our goals and
that really helps the attorney,the estate planning attorney,
reach the right solution for you.

(04:54):
If you have any questions oryou'd like to sit down with one
of our attorneys and talk aboutyour estate planning, give us a
call.
We'd offer a free consult.
You can obtain that by calling1-888-999-6600 or schedule
directly on our calendar atmcelderlawcom.

(05:15):
Thank you, jordan, appreciateit.

Jordan McIntyre (05:18):
Thank you Dad.

Greg McIntyre (05:19):
I'll see you this weekend.
You're going to be there Sundayfor Father's Day.

Jordan McIntyre (05:22):
It is it's Father's Day.
I'll be there.
See you.
Bye, see you.