How We Work
Estate planning protects your family through a plan built around your specific needs. Here’s what to expect when you work with us, from your first conversation through the completion of your plan.
The Difference
What Sets Our Practice Apart
Our clients work directly with an experienced legal team that handles complex estate planning matters, including wills, trusts, Medicaid planning, and special needs planning. With years of experience in this field, Vlad Portnoy and the team bring a client-centered, white-glove approach to every plan, providing the comprehensive legal guidance needed to protect your family’s assets and avoid costly mistakes.
Clients consistently point to one thing that sets our practice apart: constant, direct communication throughout the process. You will always know where your plan stands, what comes next, and who on the team is handling your matter. This level of personalized attention is maintained for every client, regardless of how complex the plan.
Honest Expectations
Are We the Right Fit for You?
Estate planning works best when there is alignment between what you need and how we work. Before reaching out, consider whether the points below describe your situation:
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You are looking for a form filler or a DIY template.
We provide sophisticated legal counsel designed to help you avoid costly mistakes, probate delays, and tax issues that simple templates often miss.
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You are not ready to take a thorough look at your assets and family dynamics.
Building a robust estate plan requires this level of detail, and our process is designed around it.
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You prioritize the lowest price over the highest level of protection.
Estate planning done poorly often leads to expensive consequences for a family down the line.
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You expect pricing that isn’t clear upfront.
We provide transparent, upfront pricing for high-level legal work that holds up in surrogate court.
Our Process
A Clear Path From First Call to Finished Plan
Working with us follows a clear, structured path designed to give you confidence at every stage, from your first conversation through the completion of your plan.
First Call and What to Expect
You will speak with a dedicated member of our legal team during your first call. The purpose of this call is to understand your goals, your family’s needs, and any potential gaps in your current situation, such as Medicaid eligibility or business succession. This allows us to determine whether our firm’s expertise, including our education-first approach, is the right match for your specific situation. If it is a fit, we will move forward with a customized legacy protection plan, which we will review in detail during a follow-up session.
To prepare for our virtual meeting, please have a stable internet connection, find a quiet space free of background noise, and avoid attending while driving or from a parked vehicle. Be ready to discuss your family’s needs in detail. This allows us to give you our full attention and be the strongest possible advocate for your family.
If your plans change, please let us know so we can offer the time slot to another family.
Getting Started on Your Plan
Estate Planning Questionnaire
We will provide you a link to our fillable intake form, which you can complete digitally. This is the most important step in the process. Please take your time and be as thorough as possible. The more detail you provide, the better we can tailor your documents to your specific situation and goals.
When submitting supporting documents, please ensure they are scanned directly in PDF format. Documents submitted as photographs, or as photographs converted to PDF, cannot be accepted. The court requires that all submitted documents be the original scan in PDF format. If you have any questions during the process, please let us know.
Ongoing Communication with Our Team
Our team relies on prompt and detailed responses from you throughout this process. Any information we request, regardless of how specific it may seem, is necessary to complete your documents successfully. If you have questions, please send them by email so we can provide a detailed and complete response.
If you receive correspondence related to your legal matter that you would like to discuss with us, please email us a complete copy of that correspondence before contacting the office. This gives us the opportunity to review the document fully and address all of your concerns. When corresponding with our office by email, please reply to all so the entire team stays informed and able to assist you. If you have a preferred phone number or email address for outreach, please let us know so we can ensure effective communication.
We will review all of this information in detail once we begin the process together, so there is no need to memorize it now. Our goal in sharing this upfront is transparency: to give you a clear picture of how our process works and how we begin working with clients.
Start Your Estate Plan Today
Your family’s protection starts with a conversation. Schedule your first call with our team today and take the first step toward a comprehensive estate plan built around your specific needs.