What to Expect
Our mission is to help each of our clients develop their own customized plan to help them achieve their goals and objectives.
Customized Plans to Achieve Your Goals
and Objectives
It can be difficult thinking about the future, and oftentimes, you may be beginning to plan your estate when life becomes challenging. Here’s what you can expect from the initial consultation and when working with Marshall, Parker & Weber.
1
Schedule an Initial Consultation.
Call (800) 401-4552 or fill out our online contact form to schedule an appointment.
When you schedule your consultation with Marshall, Parker & Weber, you will speak with our Scheduling Coordinator who will request some general information from you. This will help us determine the type of consultation you will need, and which office location will be most convenient.
We offer appointments in Williamsport, Jersey Shore, and Plains, and also offer convenient mobile appointments so we can meet you where you live.
2
2. Fill out the Confidential Client Questionnaire and return it to us before the appointment.
Within a few days, you will receive a packet in the mail or through email if you prefer. It will include your copy of the Confidential Client Questionnaire. To provide you with customized planning options, our team needs to understand “the big picture.” For this reason, we ask each of our clients to complete the Confidential Client Questionnaire and return it to our office three days prior to your consultation. Don’t worry — we include a postage paid envelope to make it easy for you, or you may return via email.
You can download and print a copy of our Confidential Client Questionnaire (pdf) for your convenience.
3
Attend the Initial Consultation
When you arrive for your one-hour initial office consultation, you will be meeting with an attorney and case manager from our knowledgeable team. They will talk with you about your goals and objectives; they may clarify items from your Questionnaire.
They will also provide you with their recommendations of the best ways to meet your goals and the flat fee price for Marshall, Parker & Weber to complete your plan. Of course, you will also have the opportunity to ask your own questions throughout the consultation so you can understand your options and be confident in the decisions you make.
Common Questions
Do You Make Home or Facility Visits?
Yes, we can arrange to meet at your home, hospital or long-term care facility. Because this requires additional time for our attorneys and case managers, a travel fee may apply. We also occasionally hold office hours at other businesses. For example, we meet with clients throughout the year at Penn State Golf Course Walker Clubhouse in State College, PA.
Who Should Attend the Initial Consultation?
The client should attend the initial consultation. If the client is not competent, the client’s authorized agent(s) under a Power of Attorney should attend. If this is an estate administration consultation, all named executors and trustees should attend.
Can A Family Member Participate by Phone or Video?
We encourage any decision makers to attend your consultation so they can see first-hand the types of strategies we recommend. Some of the concepts are complex and we often utilize our white boards to illustrate your options.
We realize it can be difficult for children who live out of the area to attend. Therefore, as a courtesy, we can have family members conference call into the consultation if arrangements have been made in advance. When you schedule your consultation, we can provide you with the conference calling number and password for any out-of-area decision makers.
Is It Necessary to Complete the Questionnaire?
All of the information requested on the Questionnaire is essential to getting to know you and your circumstances prior to the consultation so that we can maximize your time at the consultation by focusing on the particular issues that impact you. If you choose to not complete the Questionnaire and have a more general initial consultation, we can do that. Keep in mind that a follow up consultation may be necessary.
When Will I Know How Much Estate Planning Costs?
If you have completed the Questionnaire and have supplied all requested documents, the attorney will quote a fee for the services recommended at the conclusion of the one-hour consultation. If you need to make decisions that impact the complexity of the estate planning documents or the attorney needs to take additional time to review lengthy documents that are already in place, the fee will be quoted later.
When Will I Know How Much Estate and Trust Administration Costs?
We will quote the fee for estate and/or trust administration at the conclusion of the initial one-hour free consultation. If there is uncertainty about how certain assets of the decedent were held at the time of death, there may be two fees quoted.
Ready to Get Started?
What Our Clients are Saying
“We are happy with our experience with your law firm. The questionnaire and the information you mailed prepared us well for the initial meeting. We felt like our needs were addressed. Heather answered all questions we had during the process very quickly and thoroughly, including emailing draft documents for review, and diagramming our plan on the whiteboard. Everyone was friendly and professional.”
Dale
Our Pledge to You
In all services we provide to our clients, we will:
- Consider all of our clients’ unique circumstances and provide services to meet their individual needs.
- Treat our clients with respect and courtesy.
- Provide outstanding legal services as efficiently as possible.
- Abide by the highest ethical standards.
- Promptly return telephone calls and respond quickly to e-mails and letters.
- Keep our clients informed of the progress of their cases.
- Discuss major decisions with our clients and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions.
- Carefully protect confidential information.
Unsure About What You
Need in an Estate Plan?
Everyone can benefit from estate planning documents, but every situation is different. Figuring out what documents make sense for you can be challenging and confusing. We’ve created this estate planning tool to help you decide.
