The Initial Consultation

Typically, our initial consultation — which is intended as a get-acquainted session to see if we’re comfortable working together — lasts about an hour. It is helpful to bring any existing wills, trusts and powers of attorney, a list of your beneficiaries’ addresses and birthdays, and the addresses of anyone who may act on your behalf such as potential guardians, agents, executors and trustees. If you have a financial balance sheet or detailed list of assets bring that, but usually a general idea of your assets, including insurance, is sufficient for the initial consultations. We have an Estate Panning Questionnaire, but don’t get hung up in the details of the questionnaire if it’s going to put off an actual meeting!

If you want to bring your children, that’s fine with us. Since they're probably a large part of the reason why you're here, it wouldn't really be right on our part not to welcome them here as well. To keep children entertained while conducting our boring, grown-up business with their parents — we keep children’s books, toys and DVDs on hand.

At the end of our first meeting you can decide whether or not Matlin and Associates should prepare an Engagement Letter in anticipation of your hiring us. The fee schedule can give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of cost. If you’re not sure you want to hire us, then take the Engagement Letter home without signing it and get back to us if you wish. If you decide to proceed, then you sign the Engagement Letter and we will consult our calendars.