Becoming a Client

Understanding the Four P’s of Estate Planning

#1 – People

Who are the Important People in your life? Beginning with yourself, they also likely include your loved ones: your spouse if you are married, children and grandchildren if you have any, perhaps your parents, siblings or other relatives. Beyond these, however, “Important People” also could include charities, special causes, colleges or universities, churches or synagogues, to which you are committed. For some, “Important People” could even include pets. When becoming a client of Frankel, Rubin, Klein, Payne & Pudlowski, P.C., spend some time thinking about the impact others have had on your life. Make a list and write notes if you like. This is where the planning process truly begins.

#2 – Property

By Property we mean your assets in general. Make a list of the assets you own or control. At this point, you do not need to identify insurance policy numbers and exact dollar values. Rather think through your assets in terms of their nature (cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.); their value in thousands of dollars; and your ownership interest: Do you own assets in your name only, in joint tenancy with someone else, or through a trust agreement or some other arrangement? Be sure to include often-overlooked assets like life insurance (the death benefit, not the cash value), business interests, and any inheritance you may expect to receive.

#3 – Plans

After identifying the Important People in your life and your Property, the next step is to consider the plans you would make for those people (including yourself) and that Property in the event of your own incapacity or death.

Who would you name to make decisions for you if you could no longer do so yourself? Would the same person handle your finances and your personal and health care decisions? Who would care for your minor children? How would you distribute your assets to your heirs? Would you prefer to spare your heirs the potential cost and hassles of the probate process? Would you like to minimize the impact of estate taxes … or maximize the impact of a charitable bequest? Is there someone in your family with special needs for whom you would like to provide? Is there someone who perhaps should not receive a great deal of (or any) money without some outside oversight?

#4 – Purpose

Often times the “purpose” of estate planning is identified as “probate avoidance” or “succession planning.”  However, those are results of good estate planning.  The “purpose” of estate planning is to achieve the unique plan created to transfer property to the people you love.  The “purpose” of estate planning may be to address a specific health care concern you have and how it impacts your estate and your loved ones.  Identifying your purpose allows us to use our experience and knowledge to solve the problems, address the concerns and create an estate plan to achieve your purpose.

These are just a few of the issues to consider when approaching the planning process. These are very important issues to address to identify your estate planning goals and to achieve them.

Becoming a Client When You Are Ready

When considering becoming a client, please book a call here and find an available time that works best for you. Once you pick a time and answer some questions, someone from our office will reach out to you to confirm.

The Frankel, Rubin, Klein, Payne & Pudlowski, P.C. litigation team represents clients across a broad spectrum of proceedings, including case management conferences, discovery, depositions, pretrial hearings, as well as arbitration and mediation before administrative agencies and private arbitrators.  Our attorneys have decades of experience in handling complex and contentious disputes.  Our firm has an excellent reputation among attorneys and judges in Missouri and our AV rating by Martindale-Hubble indicates that our firm has attained the highest ranking for ethical standards as well as legal ability.

Seeking a Divorce, Modification, Order of Protection, Prenup?

Any litigation is stressful for a client but dealing with Family Law matters can be extremely emotional and difficult. We are here to help guide you through the process and make it as efficient and easy as possible.  As you are transitioning to a new chapter of your life, we try to prepare you for what is ahead while also striving to get the best outcome for you.  Many clients are nervous or anxious about meeting with an attorney to start the process, we understand this and have created a basic guide to help navigate this process.

Initial Meeting

Many times, this initial meeting is the first time clients have ever met with an attorney one-on-one.  This can be intimidating and cause uneasiness as you may not know what information to tell the attorney or what to bring.  In order for us to give you the best advice on how to move forward, we need important information.  Things you should be prepared to share or bring to the initial meeting include:

Date of Marriage

Date of Separation (if applicable)

Date of Birth and Social Security Number of spouse

Date of Birth of any minor children you have

Residences of the minor children for the last five years

School Information for the minor children

Estimate of your and your spouse’s income

Information on Retirement Accounts

Information on Real Estate

Information on Securities

Information on Business Interests you or your spouse may have

Information on any debts you or your spouse may have

Follow up to Initial Meeting

After an initial meeting with a client, it is up to the client if they think we are a good fit for them and their case.  If you would like to move forward with us, we require a retainer.  Then we will begin drafting initial pleadings/documents for you to review before filing with the applicable court.

Things to Know About Missouri Family Law

The most important thing to remember about Family Law is every case is different and personal to you, the client.  There is not one way to go about these issues.  In every case, a judge will be assigned to your case.  This judge will be the decision maker if the case goes to trial.  Many times a case does not go to trial, in those cases, the judge reviews the settlement documents to ensure it complies with Missouri law.  When minor children are involved, a judge has the discretion to appoint a Guardian ad Litem who represents the minor children’s interests in the case.  The Guardian ad Litem can help parents come up with a custody plan and make that recommendation to the court.

No matter if your case goes to trial or is settled quickly, it is important to have an attorney who is experienced and qualified to guide you through the process and ensure you get the best results for your situation.

The Frankel, Rubin, Klein, Payne & Pudlowski, P.C. personal injury team has over fifty years of combined experience providing outstanding legal representation to individuals and families who have suffered injury or death as a result of the negligence and wrongdoing of another person or entity and to persons injured in the work place.  We are devoted to making sure your legal rights as a victim are protected and you get the most recovery for your injuries.  The best way to determine your rights as an injured party or the relative of an injured party is to discuss your case with us personally and ask any questions about your rights.  

From start-up companies to exit strategies, the issues facing businesses today are complex.  Whether you are preparing to launch a new business or needing direction as your business continues to grow, knowing how to comply with the ever-changing laws affecting your business and limiting the exposure to liability is important.  Whether you are taking the leap to create a small business or ready to expand into new markets, we are ready to provide you comprehensive legal services to help protect you. Learn more about becoming a client of Frankel, Rubin, Klein, Payne & Pudlowski, P.C.