I quote a flat fee before any work begins. Most complete estate plans fall between $3,000 and $5,000. You will know your number before you commit to anything, and it does not change because a matter took me longer than I expected.
Hourly billing puts you and me on opposite sides of the clock. It also makes you hesitate before asking a question, which is exactly backwards for work that depends on you telling me things.
So I quote the whole engagement up front, after I understand what it involves. If your situation turns out to be simpler than it looked, the fee reflects that.
$3,000 to $5,000
Where most complete estate plans land.
3 weeks
Typical time from first meeting to signed documents.
0 hourly bills
Ask as many questions as you need to. It does not change the number.
We talk. Your family, your assets, your actual worries. Nothing is drafted yet and you are not committed to anything.
I tell you what I recommend, why, and what it costs. You decide whether to proceed.
I draft. You read it. We revise until it says what you meant.
We execute properly, with qualified witnesses and separate notarization. Your agents get copies and understand what they hold.
Marriage, divorce, a new child, a new property, a death, a move to another state. Any of these is a reason to come back.
Most plans are signed within three weeks of the first meeting.
Every engagement includes the free 15-minute call, a working meeting, drafting, one full round of revisions, supervised execution, and copies for the people you named. Filing fees, recording fees and appraisals are passed through at cost.
I don’t sell trusts to people who don’t need them. If a well-drafted will and correct beneficiary designations solve your problem, that’s what I’ll recommend, and the fee will be lower.
I also don’t practice outside Pennsylvania. If you own property in another state or you’re planning to move, I’ll tell you where you’ll need local counsel.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough for me to tell you what your plan would cost and whether you need one at all.