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Estate Planning

Estate Planning

DR is a member of WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel. We utilize state of the art tools available to us through these communities. Check out www.EstatePlanning.com, a free resource provided by WealthCounsel for DRC clients.

At DR, estate planning is more than a routine preparation of documents.
Welcome to our Estate Planning Center which has been designed to acquaint you with our ability to help you exceed your estate planning goals.  At DR, each client commands our attention of the details relating to their particular circumstances so as to achieve the intended results. Our process is beyond a routine preparation of documents, though it is true that items such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney are necessary.  In our office, estate planning involves getting to know our clients, setting and defining goals, educating clients on the legal terms, tools, and basic estate tax rules, and gathering necessary information using our Estate Design Worksheet.  These crucial steps serve as our guide to ultimately design, draft, and implement each client’s unique estate plan.

Our Team
DR’s Lew Dymond is a founder and principal of WealthCounsel, the preeminent and prestigious national organization comprised of estate planning and administration attorneys.  Mr. Dymond, former WealthCounsel CEO, designed the software WealthDocs for the exclusive use by WealthCounsel members.  Michael Reagor is also a member of WealthCounsel and directs DRC’s trust and estate planning practice.  Mr. Reagor is also a member of ElderCounsel, which focuses on providing comprehensive solutions for our more seasoned clients.

Common Misconceptions
The most common misconception is that estate planning is something about which only the wealthy need to be concerned.  This presumption falsely leaves millions of Americans unprepared to answer questions such as:

  • Who can and will handle your financial affairs should you become disabled or incapacitated?
  • Who will provide for your children in the event of a common disaster?
  • Who can access your medical files to the satisfaction of HIPPA requirements and make decisions about your care in the event of a medical emergency?  What decisions are they allowed to make?
  • If you were to leave behind minor children, who would be responsible for managing the proceeds from insurance, financial and other accounts?  How are they going to spend it?
  • Do you know the default distribution scheme in Colorado, and would you want your assets to pass to these individuals at the expense of others?

We are more than happy to help you in providing solutions to these and other life-altering questions.

DR’s Unique Estate Planning Process
Our practice is designed to provide our clients with solutions to problems they often don’t realize they could have.  Setting your estate planning goals, in essence, is defining a set of “babysitter” instructions concerning your life and acquisitions.  The art of estate planning spells out how you would like your things to be handled when you are not able to do so.  This includes how you want it managed, who you want managing it and for whom you want it managed.  Just as babysitter instructions used your resources, wisdom and love to provide for the care of your loved ones when you aren’t there, so too should your estate plan.

Informed Clients
For a client to be comfortable with any estate plan, there needs to be a high level of understanding.  We believe an important step in the estate planning process is to explain fairly sophisticated concepts in a manner that is easy to understand.  We often use drawings and flowcharts to help explain these concepts, which are usually included in the client’s Estate Planning Portfolio.

Custom Design
The final steps in the process are the design, drafting and implementation of the actual estate plan.  Any lawyer can pull forms out of a form book and “fill in the blanks,” which is too often passed off as estate planning.  In proper planning, each element of the plan is designed to meet the goals and objectives of each client – one size does not fit all!  Each client’s documents are designed and drafted to compliment their specific financial circumstance.  We often work with the client’s other advisors and associates in the design and administration process.

Implementing the Plan
Along similar method of thought, implementation involves much more than signing the documents.  For the estate plan to work as designed, property must be appropriately titled and beneficiaries must be properly designated on life insurance, retirement plans, and other assets with beneficiary designations.  Trusts must be funded and individuals must be notified.  This is an essential step that DR orchestrates on behalf of the client.

ClientDocx – DR’s Secure Client Vault
Our clients also have the option to store their executed documents in our online vault known as ClientDocx.   This option allows the clients to access their documents from anywhere in the world as well as share their documents securely with designated family members and financial advisors.  Documents are locked for editing to further prevent misconduct.  This feature also allows clients to store personal account information in a convenient, safe and unified location.  We recommend each of our clients take advantage of this service.