Estate Planning, Saratoga County, New York
What is an Estate plan?.
An estate plan is a plan for who will make decisions for you, and how those decisions will be made, when you can no longer make decisions for yourself, either because of death or incapacity. An estate plan is accomplished through a set of legal documents for the transfer of your assets, guardianship of minor children, and planning for your incapacity. A comprehensive estate plan ensures that your assets are distributed according to your wishes, minimizes legal complications, and can reduce estate taxes and other expenses.
Estate Planning – Why work with Starsia Law?
Our mission is to serve our neighbors in Saratoga County and throughout the Capital Region by making the estate planning process as easy, stress-free, and meaningful as possible.
As your Personal Family Lawyer® and Family Business Lawyer™ law firm, we have specialized training, expertise, and depth of experience in estate, life, and legacy planning that traditional law firms simply can’t match. We’re different from other law firms, and we’re proud of that.
Top 3 ways that We are different
What is included in a typical Estate Plan?
There is no one-size-fits-all Estate Plan. But a typical estate plan should include a combination of the following:
Estate Planning Documents for transferring property after death such as:
Last Will & Testament
Revocable Living Trust
Documents for who can make decisions for you if you are incapacitated such as:
Durable Power of Attorney
Health Care Proxy
Living Will
An estate plan may also include:
Trusts to protect assets from creditors
An irrevocable trust to protect you from long-term care costs
Planning for children or adults with special needs (e.g., Special Needs Trust or ABLE Account)
Goals, not documents: Your estate plan should not start with whether you’ll have a will or a trust. Instead, it should start with your goals (like keeping your family out of court), and your legal documents should be tools to accomplish your goals.
Personalized process: You and your family are not one-size-fits-all and your planning shouldn’t be either! We take the time to meet with you and discuss your family and your goals to ensure a plan that will work for you and your family. Work with us to craft your lasting legacy with an estate plan.
3 A Life-Long Relationship: Marriage, divorce, grandkids, selling a house, going into a nursing home… All these life changes can impact your estate plan. If your planning is not kept up-to-date, it may not protect your family. That’s why we check in with all our clients over their lifetimes to ensure that plans are kept up-to-date.
Estate Planning Costs: What to Expect
Estate planning is unique for everyone—it’s not a one-size-fits-all process. The cost of your plan will depend on your goals, family situation, and priorities. At Starsia Law, we’ll work with you to create a plan that’s customized for your needs and budget, without any guesswork.
We offer clear, flat-fee pricing for all our estate planning packages, so there are no surprises. Plus, we include a no-cost review of your plan every 3 years to make sure it stays up-to-date as life changes.
Most of our clients invest between $3,000 and $10,000 in their estate planning package. On average, clients who own a home and want to keep their loved ones out of probate court choose a package around $6,000. If needed, we also offer flexible payment plans to help you get the protection you want without added financial stress. During your Life & Legacy Planning Session, we’ll walk you through all of your options to find the right fit for you.
Your Life & Legacy Planning Session
Every new client at our firm begins with a 2-hour session with one of our attorneys (Pam, Joe, or Susan), called a Life & Legacy Planning Session. In this meeting, we’ll discuss your family, your assets, and your key priorities. It’s also a great time for you to ask questions and get clear guidance on your specific concerns.
By the end of the session, you’ll know:
How your family would be affected if you were to pass away or become incapacitated today
The pros and cons of different planning options and what they mean for your loved ones
The best plan for your needs based on your goals and budget
The usual cost of this 2-hour working session is $750, but we offer it at no charge if you are willing to complete some “homework” ahead of time. Instead of paying the fee, you’re investing your time to gather important information we’ll need. This preparation allows us to dive right in during our meeting and focus on building a plan tailored to your needs.
The homework is a confidential online questionnaire that usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes. It’s a key part of the process, helping us gather important details about your family, finances, and wishes. While it might take some time now, collecting this information ahead of your session is far easier than leaving it for your family to sort through after you’re gone. Taking this step now helps ensure your estate plan truly reflects what’s most important to you—and saves your loved ones from added stress later.
Contact Us Today?
You can schedule your Life & Legacy Planning Session right now online, or by phone. If you have questions about what to expect from the homework or the Life & Legacy Planning Session, you can click here to schedule a free 15-minute introductory call with a member of our team or call the office at (518) 309-2252.
We know that the biggest risk to your loved ones when it comes to your estate planning is simply the risk of procrastination. We hope you’ll schedule a time for us to talk right now, while you’re thinking about it. We’ll help you figure out your next steps from there.
We look forward to meeting with you soon!