Come to our will party!

Let’s get it done.

The Easy Peasy Will PartyTM is for those of you who just want a basic estate plan in one easy, inexpensive workshop.


Maybe you have small children and, even though you know you need to name a guardian that will care for them if you are unavailable, you haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe you know you need a Health Care Directive or a Power of Attorney just in case of sudden incapacity, but it just hasn’t been a top priority for you. Maybe you’ve thought about doing something online but you know how risky it is to just fill out a form without the advice of an attorney. Well, now there is a way to get it done in one afternoon.

In my regular practice I draft comprehensive, personalized estate planning documents. That's great for many people, but what about families that haven't accumulated many assets yet but are still worried about protecting their children in the event of an emergency or sudden death? Maybe the simple, statutory documents are the best fit for you, right now, so you can rest easy knowing you have something in place.

Here's how it works:

After you sign up I send you a little preliminary worksheet to fill out and bring to the workshop. You will bring your worksheet and government identification to the workshop. We will spend the first half of the workshop going over the three documents and what they will do for you. I answer your questions and we fill out the blanks in the forms together. Then, if you want, you can leave. If you want to stay, for no additional cost, I will give my signature lecture on Tips and Tricks to Avoid ProbateTM.

In the Easy Peasy Will PartyTM you get a statutory Will to name guardians for your children, but you get so much more than just that! By the end of our workshop, you will have a valid Will, a Financial Power of Attorney and an Advance Health Care Directive, all completed with the help and guidance of an attorney. More importantly, you will have peace of mind that your loved ones are provided for, your health care wishes will be known, and your plan is in place.

Here's what it costs:

The cost is $295.00 per person or $425.00 per couple.

(Just to compare, full trust-based plans range from $2000-$5000. This is a screaming deal for the right person!)

As a special bonus, if you hire me to do a complete estate plan for you within two years I will credit 1/2 the amount you paid for the workshop toward the cost of your personalized plan.


Here’s what’s included and why you need it:

Will: A Will is critically important for all adults regardless of wealth, marital status, or age. A Will allows you to:

Ensure that your possessions will be distributed as you wish. If you die without a Will, the law decides how your estate will be distributed. Although some property will automatically be passed to a spouse or children, a Will is the only way to ensure that your wishes will be carried out.

Appoint an Executor. Writing a Will allows you to decide who will oversee and manage distribution of your estate. Designating a trustworthy and impartial Executor provides peace of mind that the terms of your Will will be honored.

Appoint a guardian for minor children and Trustee of their estate. Your Will serves as the legal guiding document for care of minor children in the event of the death of both parents and a Trustee to oversee the property you leave for them.

Expedite the legal process. It is generally faster and less costly to settle an estate with a valid Will because there is less room for disputes. Reducing legal fees protects the value of your property and savings to be passed to beneficiaries.


Financial Power of Attorney: A Power of Attorney allows you to choose a trusted Agent to have the authority to make property, financial and other legal decisions for you. A Power of Attorney helps you to:

Avoid a conservatorship. A will only applies if you are dead. If you become incapacitated, you will need someone to take over your financial affairs and use your assets for your benefit. Without a valid Power of Attorney someone will have to go through the hassle, time and expense of getting a conservatorship over you and that someone may not be the person you would choose. I’m sure you can imagine some terrible situations where you would want someone you trust to be able to access your accounts to get money to use for your benefit, but if you can’t I have a blog post that might help you.

Allow someone to act on your behalf if you are not available. Thinking of going traveling? With a valid Power of Attorney in place your trusted Agent can conduct legal transactions on your behalf while you are gone.


Advanced Health Care Directive: An “ Advance Health Care Directive” lets your physician, family and friends know your health care preferences, including the types of special treatment you want or don’t want at the end of life, your desire for diagnostic testing, surgical procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and organ donation.

Avoid unnecessary guessing. By considering your options early, you can ensure the quality of life that is important to you and avoid having your family “guess” your wishes or having to make critical medical care decisions for you under stress or in emotional turmoil.

Avoid litigation. When family members disagree over how to proceed with your health care they have the option of resorting to the court system. Litigation in court is not only time consuming and expensive, it can be devastating to the ongoing relationship between the litigants.

All participants of the Easy Peasy Will Workshop receive these Free Bonus Items:

  • Unlimited free legal check ups on documents (come to me anytime and I’ll check to see if your document still does what you want it to do under current law).
  • Help with changing anything on the forms for only $50.00 per document for up to one year after the workshop. (Notary fees may apply and are not included.)
  • A discount on a fully customized estate plan equal to 1/2 the amount you paid for the workshop, if you hire me within two years of the workshop date.
  • One free half-hour confidential phone call.
  • Free notarization of your documents at the workshop (a $30 value).
  • Roxanne’s Tips and Tricks to Avoid ProbateTM

FAQs

What if the workshop times are not good for me?

  • Then you might be interested in hosting an Easy Peasy Will PartyTM in my conference room! Simply gather six adults together and I will meet with you in my lovely conference room overlooking the Museum of Modern Art in Santa Cruz and run my workshop. Or, we could do it in your living room! Combined with a potluck these will parties are the most fun you will ever have while contemplating your demise. Call me for more details.


Do I need to bring a witness?

  • No, the participants will act as witnesses for each other and I will notarize documents that need it.


Will I bring my original documents home after the workshop?

  • No, but I will send them to you after I have made copies for my file.


This is stressful! Can we have a beer during the workshop?

  • Sorry, no alcohol is allowed before everyone’s documents are signed. However, feel free to bring something to share afterwards!


What will the documents look like?

  • The documents are basic forms that you could find online for free or at a very low cost. These are not the same personalized documents that I would create for you if we were doing a full, customized plan. However, the forms I use for this workshop have been specifically approved by the California legislature and by completing them with me you will rest assured that you had a licensed attorney advising you every step of the way. And you will be done.


What if my situation is a little complicated?

  • These documents work for almost everyone when the alternative is no documents. Something is definitely better than nothing. However, people with the following circumstances should check in with me ahead of time: the very wealthy and parents of special needs children. Feel free to contact me with any concerns.


Why do I need an estate plan if I have a very simple life?

  • I answered this on my Ask Roxy blog here. Even the most simple estates need something in place, but especially if you have children or are not married to your life partner (or the other parent of your children) or actually care who receives your assets when you die, you need a plan. However, the estate plan that I help you with during this workshop is also helpful in a situation where you are still alive, but need someone else to take care of your finances and children.


Will these documents help me avoid probate?

  • There are many different ways to avoid probate and I will give you my Tips and Tricks to Avoid ProbateTM during the workshop, however this deal does not include a revocable living trust or any document specifically designed to avoid probate.


I’ve heard that I need a Living Trust. Do you include one?

  • No, a living trust is part of a full, in-depth, customized estate plan and, despite what you may have heard from certain on-line companies, they really can’t be done well with a generalized form.


How confidential is this going to be?

  • This is a group workshop and so I can’t offer confidentiality. Everyone who takes the workshop gets one free confidential phone call, either before or after the workshop, in addition to the other Free Bonus Items listed above.


Can I bring my child?

  • Because we need everyone’s full attention I do not allow children at these events. If you have an in-arms infant that cannot be separated from you please call me to discuss some options.


How long will it take?

  • That depends a lot on the group and how many questions everyone has. Most groups take up the full 2 hours. I divided the workshop into two segments so that people who need to leave early can simply skip the lecture on avoiding probate.


Like this idea? Let your friends know about it!