At the Socius Law Firm, we have established a unique estate planning process where we listen and learn about you, your family and personal circumstances, thoroughly explain the estate planning options available to you and custom design, implement and maintain a comprehensive estate plan that reflects your specific concerns, fears, goals and objectives. Our process is designed to ensure your confidence at each step along the way, from the initial planning meeting through the delivery and implementation of your completed plan and beyond. The ultimate outcome of our estate planning process, which is highlighted step-by step below, is to give you peace of mind.
Shortly after you schedule your Initial Estate Planning Consultation we’ll send you a Welcome Packet containing important information that you will want to review prior to your Initial Estate Planning Consultation and a link to our Estate Planning Questionnaire. We ask you complete the Estate Planning Questionnaire and return it to our office at least 3 days in advance of your appointment.
The Estate Planning Questionnaire is designed to help you organize your family and financial information, while also assisting us in understanding your personal goals and circumstances so we can make our first meeting as productive as possible. The information that you provide is strictly confidential.
For new clients, the Initial Planning Meeting is where the relationship with the Socius Law Firm begins. The Initial Planning Meeting provides an opportunity for us determine whether there is a good fit between you and our firm. During our meeting, we will: (i) learn about you, your family and personal circumstances and discuss your concerns, fears, goals and objectives, and any other issues identified in the Estate Planning Questionnaire that require further consideration; (ii) teach you about the law and your estate planning options; and, (iii) discuss what would happen if you were incapacitated or passed away with your current plan or without any plan. By looking at what would happen under your current plan, you can identify what you would want to happen differently.
Assuming there is a good fit between you and our firm, we will help you to choose the estate planning option that will give you peace of mind knowing that your family would be taken care of in the way you want if something happened to you (we have four different estate planning levels to accommodate your needs – our fees begin at $1,000.00 and they are all-inclusive, so there are no surprises). Then we will design your estate plan and draft the legal documents that are necessary to implement your estate plan.
Depending on the estate planning option you choose and complexity of your situation, the design step may occur during your Initial Planning Meeting or during a separate Design Meeting. During this meeting, we will work together to create a customized estate plan that that reflects your concerns, fears, goals and objectives and provides you with peace of mind. We will discuss various options regarding distribution of your assets, who will make financial decisions for you after you pass or become incapacitated, who will advocate for your medical needs, who will care for your children, etc. We will give you various choices and make recommendations based on your personal circumstances. At the end of the meeting, you will have a clear understanding of how your plan works and we will have a clear blueprint for which to draft your estate planning documents.
After your estate planning documents are finalized, we will schedule a meeting for you to return to our office to review and sign your estate planning documents.
Also, if your estate plan includes a Trust, it is critical that it is properly funded. Funding is the process of changing the title of your assets from your name into the name of the Trust. An unfunded trust is like a car without gas – neither will get you very far! If you choose to have us be responsible for the initial funding of your Trust, we will prepare the necessary funding documents for you to review and sign and will work with your investment firms, banks and advisors to ensure that everything is titled correctly. If you choose to be responsible for the initial funding of your Trust on your, we will ensure that you understand how to fund your Trust and provide follow-up guidance and support.
After you sign your estate planning documents, we don’t just send you on your way and wish you luck for the future. Instead, we will schedule a delivery meeting with you where we provide an electronic record of all your estate planning documents on a thumb drive and provide you with all of your original documents in a binder. More importantly, we conduct a review of the initial funding of your trust, verify your asset transfers are continuing to move forward and address any outstanding funding issues.
At most estate planning law firms, the relationship ends when you sign your documents. This is where the Socius Law Firm is very different. We believe your estate plan should be reviewed and refined on a regular basis to ensure that it always remains up-to-date consistent with your goals and objectives. This is why we include a complimentary review of all of our clients’ estate plans at least once every three years. We also provide you with access to our webinars, newsletters and blogs and offer annual membership programs if you wish to review your estate plan on a more frequent basis or desire even more continued services from us. Finally, we are always here for you and we don’t charge you for phone calls or emails. We welcome your communications!
Unlike the “transactional” or “one-size-fits-all” approach to estate planning, the Socius Law Firm is committed to forging lawyer-for-life relationships with our clients.
At the Socius Law Firm, estate planning is not done for you, it is done with you. We help individuals and families identify their concerns and planning objectives and work together to create a plan that is tailored to meet their unique family situation, assets and personal values, goals and objectives.
As a professional and business owner I expect excellent performance and results from other professionals. I can say without hesitation that Todd Rosenfield and the Socius Law Firm have met and exceeded those expectations. Todd’s experience as a Estate Planning and Business Attorney make him exceptionally qualified to address a wide variety of issues. As a husband and father, as well as a business owner, I have peace of mind and sleep well at night knowing that Todd has me covered. I have utilized Todd’s services for over 10 years in a variety of legal and trust matters.
“I have depended on Todd Rosenfield to provide exceptional advice and counsel for both my personal estate planning and business needs for over 15 years. He has always taken care of every detail to ensure my issues are resolved promptly and thoroughly. I can recommend Todd without hesitation as an expert attorney.”
“I brought my parents to Socius for an estate planning consultation. They were a bit nervous and unsure if they needed a revocable living trust. Attorney Rosenfield took the time to explain the options and was very patient. We hired him on the spot.”
“We liked Attorney Rosenfield for his professionalism, knowledge and willingness to share it, and his good nature. Todd’s approach to navigating the estate planning design process helped us understand legal concepts that otherwise might have been confusing or made us feel uncertain. We were unconditionally satisfied every step of the way, including the pace of events leading to our completed Estate Plan.”
We had Mr. Rosenfield help us with the adoption of my daughter by my husband. Mr. Rosenfield is both professional and very easy going and made adoption day go very smoothly for us. Knowing that I work in Boston and live 40 miles away, he was mindful of my work and commuting schedule and was very accommodating to that. Adoption day was stress free and he took care of everything and made it a very joyous event. He even emailed us pictures of our special day! Highly recommend Mr. Rosenfield and will be looking to him for additional services in the future with family estate planning.
“Todd was my primary council for three years when I was CEO of a Medical Device precision component manufacturer in Massachusetts. Todd was very competent and reliable as a lawyer and quickly established himself as a trusted advisor to senior management on a wide variety of issues and opportunities. I would work with Todd again without hesitation and highly recommend him.”
After having our first baby, my wife and I decided that we needed an estate plan to ensure our daughter was taken care of in case something happened to both of us. We were recommended to Todd and the Socius Law Firm by a coworker. I can’t give enough praise to Todd for how easy and painless he made this process.
“Todd is one of the most knowledgeable attorneys and is unbelievably adept at handling a wide range of legal issues that are applicable to small to medium-sized businesses. At the same time, he is one of the most caring and trustworthy individuals I’ve worked with, always seeking to understand his clients’ goals and recommending the best actions to achieve those goals.”
Recently we decided it was time to update our estate plan. We spent a good amount of time researching the right attorney given our circumstances and selected Todd from a list of recommended estate planning attorneys. The results were outstanding. He was very detailed in his analysis of our needs, goals and objectives. As he prepared our documents, he communicated his thoughts and made recommendations that made a lot of sense. We could not be more pleased with the results.
When my father passed away, it was a very upsetting and confusing time. Thankfully, he had the foresight to consult with Todd Rosenfield and introduced us to his law firm. The process of settling the estate and trust went smoothly and Todd took care of every detail. We are very thankful.
I met with Todd to get my estate planning done for my family. Todd took the time to explain everything to me and helped me understand what was right for our needs. We decided to go with him and his firm cause of how professional, thoughtful and caring he was! It was a very smooth process. We were leaving our young children and wanted to make sure our estate plan was in place before traveling out of the country. We were comforted knowing it was all in place and settled for our kids. I highly recommend Todd and encourage you all to get your estate planning done!
We had been putting it off estate planning for years. After the birth of our son, my husband and I decided it was time to get our house in order. We hired Todd and could not be more pleased with the results. Todd was terrific to work with… smart, professional and insightful. The process was painless, and he guided us along each step of the way. I really appreciated him taking the time to explain everything to us and answer all of our questions. I highly recommend Todd to anyone looking to create or update their estate plan. Thank you Todd!
I am so very grateful that I was referred to the Socius Law Firm. Where to start? Todd made the whole process painless. He was very patient and professional. Todd took the time needed to explain any pertinent legal concepts which allowed us to make informed decisions regarding all of the issues for our specific estate planning needs. The presentation of the final product was the icing on the cake. Our estate planning documents came in a very organized portfolio as well as digital copies on a thumb drive. Thank you so much!
We offer four levels of comprehensive estate planning – each highly customized to meet your unique family situation. Plan fees are dependent upon your personal values, goals and objectives.
We Offer Complimentary Estate Planning Consultations.
Call Us To Discuss Your Estate Planning Needs.
508.870.5759