The Property Owners' Estate Planning and Living Trust Lawyer Kenneth Ziskin - Income Tax, Capital Gain and Property Tax Planning - Probate and Trust Administration

AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE

 

High quality estate planing and Living Trusts represent an investment in your future, and the future of your family.  While I strive to keep the cost of that investment down, our time is valuable.  Lawyers with comparable experience and qualifications in larger firms often bill at $850 per hour or higher!

 

BASE HOURLY RATE

 

My base rate for most hourly work is $595 per hour. My lower overhead enables me to provide a lower rate for the work I do. Generally, there is no separate charge for the added perspective and contribution made by my wife, Hinda, to your planning.

 

DISCOUNTED FIXED FEES

 

​Most of the time, I work on a discounted fixed fee basis to cover the planning, documentation and any related legal or factual research appropriate for the planning you choose after our initial consultation.  Sometimes, for larger estates or complex situations, a fixed fee for the whole project cannot be quoted at the initial consultation.  In those cases, I work on an agreed fixed fee or hourly rates for a plan design phase, leaving the fee for implementation and drafting to be agreed upon after you select the strategies you believe will work to meet your needs.

 

i also handle most probate and trust administration on a fixed fee basis, subject to possible additional charges for extraorrdinary matters. 

 

I believe that fixed fee arrangements benefit both me and you.  I don't need to bother with keeping time records or justify to you every bit of research, drafting or analysis that your case requires. You don't need to worry that an additional question, meeting, telephone call or request for some additional custom drafting, will result in a higher bill. I want your planning to work, and I want you to feel free to consult with me as much as you need to in order to understand your planning and enable me get it right for you. If that means I put in a few extra hours that I don't get paid for, the satisfaction of doing a good job makes the extra time worthwhile for me.

 

I design my fixed fees to be reasonable in light of the value delivered and the time I estimate will be involved after our initial consultation.  In fixed fee engagements, I normally set the fixed fee based on my estimate of the time required for the planning at a substantially discounted hourly rate.  This makes customized planning more affordable and encourages clients to free me from the tyranny of keeping precise time and billing records.

 

I strongly believe that better planning results when clients do not fear being charged for asking additional questions or seeking to understand issues fully.

 

Initial telephone consultations for Family Wealth Strategies (sm) estate planning are generally provided free of charge for serious prospective clients.  Full consultations with review of existing planning normally are provided for $500.