Our Process

Because we know your time is valuable, our process is designed to be as efficient as possible, while still making sure you understand everything and are comfortable and confident with your decisions.

STEP 1: SCHEDULE YOUR INITIAL CONSULATION

We begin every new client relationship with a free initial consultation. In order to make planning as convenient as possible for you, we have a limited amount of evening and Saturday appointments available along with our normal business hour appointments. This meeting usually lasts about 2-3 hours. Appointments can be scheduled by calling our office at 949-600-5900 or emailing Tina@DockeryLawGroup.com.

STEP 2: FILL OUT YOUR ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHEET

Once your consultation is set, we will send you a welcome packet which will include your Estate Planning Worksheet. We ask that you to fill it out and return it to our office (via mail, fax, or email) at least three days prior to your appointment. This information will give us a general overview of your unique situation and goals. We’ll review this before your meeting, so none of our face-to-face time is wasted. If we receive your worksheets less than three days prior to your Initial Conference, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

STEPS 3 & 4: ATTEND INITIAL CONSULTATION/DESIGN YOUR PLAN

During the initial meeting, we will discuss your family, priorities, values, goals, and concerns in order to get some insight about the proper planning for your unique situation. Once we have learned a little bit about you, we will walk you through exactly what would happen to your loved ones and where your assets would go if something happened to you. You will then be able to determine if there is anything about your current plan (or the state's plan for you) that you wouldn't like. If there’s a conflict between your current plan and what you would like to have happen and we both feel that our working relationship is a good fit, we can often design your new plan within this first meeting. Sometimes, depending on the level of planning you choose and the complexity of your situation, a second planning meeting is required. After working together to design the plan that will give your family the greatest peace of mind, we will give you a firm, flat fee quote for our services. Our fees are all-inclusive so you never have to worry about getting an unexpected bill in the mail. If you do not feel that the benefits of the planning you do with us far outweigh the costs, there is no obligation.

STEP 5: SIGNING

Once your plan has been designed to your satisfaction, you will return to our office approximately two weeks later to review and sign your documents. We will go over your estate planning documents with you and answer any questions you may have prior to your signing of the documents. This meeting usually takes about one hour.

STEP 6: DELIVERY

Approximately one week after the signing ceremony we will meet to deliver your plan. We will need to keep your signed documents until this time in order to scan them into our computer system.

STEP 7: MAINTENANCE

At this point, most lawyers call it a day. But we see the signing of these documents as the beginning of our relationship with your family. We realize that our clients will only have peace of mind if they know their planning is and remains current. As your family changes, as your assets change, and as the law changes, your plan must be updated to accommodate these changes in order to make sure your plan works when your family needs it. For this reason, our clients have the option to sign up for one of our maintenance programs. With this service, you can obtain ongoing legal services and advice to keep your plan current at a substantially reduced cost. We also offer a review of your plan every three years at no additional charge to you.

Dockery Law Group assists clients with Estate Planning, Advanced Estate Planning, Special Needs Planning, Elder Law/Medicaid Planning, Legacy Planning, Pet Trusts, Probate, & Estate Administration in Orange County, California including, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Foothill Ranch, Rancho Santa Margarita, Trabuco Canyon, Lake Forest, Costa Mesa, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, Balboa, Laguna Woods, Huntington Beach, El Toro, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Brea, Buena Park, Coto de Caza, Cypress, Dove Canyon, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Stanton, Garden Grove, Ladera Ranch, La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Orange, Placentia, Portola Hills, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda, Santa Ana, and Seal Beach.