Client Care Program
An estate plan needs attention as your assets, family circumstances, and goals change. The Milvidskiy Law Group Client Care Program provides ongoing reviews, trust funding support, and document updates to help keep your plan current.
What the Program Includes
Coordinated Trust Funding
Funding is the process of transferring assets into your trust. Assets intended for the trust but left outside it may still require probate. We coordinate the funding process so that asset ownership reflects your estate plan.
Planning for Newly Acquired Assets
New property and accounts do not automatically become part of your trust. The program includes assistance with funding newly acquired assets and reviewing how they fit into your plan.
Annual Review Meetings
At annual meetings, we review your documents, current assets, and ownership arrangements. We discuss changes in your circumstances and identify any necessary adjustments, including assets that still need to be transferred to your trust.
Coordination with Your Other Advisors
We work with your financial planners and tax professionals to coordinate your estate plan with their advice. This includes reviewing how new investments should be titled and addressing related planning considerations.
Trust Protector Services
When the firm serves as Trust Protector under your trust documents, we provide oversight separate from the trustee’s day-to-day administration. Depending on the authority provided in the trust, this role can include:
- Reviewing whether the trust is administered according to your intentions.
- Overseeing the trustee’s conduct.
- Amending trust terms to address changes in law or circumstances.
- Helping resolve disputes between trustees and beneficiaries.
Document Updates
The program includes amendments prompted by changes in the law or significant life events, such as marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child or grandchild. We review how those changes affect your wishes and update the relevant provisions.
Assistance During Incapacity
If you become unable to manage your affairs, the program provides legal guidance and assistance with administration during your incapacity. We help those responsible for carrying out your plan understand their roles and your instructions.
Post-Death Administration and Probate at a Flat Rate
For clients who participated in the program and followed its recommendations, we offer post-death administration and probate services at a flat rate. This provides a predictable fee structure for those responsible for administering the estate.
Keeping Your Plan Current
Regular reviews provide an opportunity to address changes before an outdated document or an unfunded asset creates a problem. The Client Care Program brings these reviews, funding assistance, and updates into an ongoing relationship with our firm.
Contact our office to discuss whether the program fits your estate plan and to review the current program terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Client Care Program?
The Client Care Program is our ongoing maintenance program for clients who have completed an estate plan with the firm. Its purpose is to keep your assets in sync with your plan over time so the plan continues to work the way you intended. The program combines coordinated trust funding, annual review meetings, updates prompted by changes in your life or the law, and coordination with your other advisors.
Who is the Client Care Program for?
The program is designed for clients whose estate plans include a trust that must be kept properly funded and current. It is a good fit for people who expect to acquire new assets, experience family changes, or want regular professional reviews of their plan. If you are unsure whether the program fits your plan, contact us for current program terms.
How often are reviews held, and what do they cover?
We conduct annual meetings with program participants. At each review we reevaluate your estate plan, review your current assets and how they are titled, and advise on any adjustments that appear necessary. A review may identify a newly acquired property or account that has not yet been transferred to your trust, which we can then address.
What changes should prompt an update to my estate plan?
Significant life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, a death in the family, or a change in who you want serving as trustee or agent generally call for a review. Changes in your assets, such as buying or selling real estate or opening new accounts, and a move to a different state can also affect how your plan operates. Changes in the law are another common trigger. The program includes amendments prompted by these kinds of changes.
How does the program relate to funding my trust?
Funding is the process of transferring your assets into your trust so they are actually governed by it. A well drafted trust can fall short if assets are left outside it, because those assets may have to pass through probate and may not be distributed as you intended. The program provides a coordinated funding process so that the assets you meant to place in your trust are titled correctly.
What happens when I acquire new assets after my plan is signed?
New assets do not automatically become part of your trust. The program includes assistance with transferring newly acquired assets into your trust where appropriate. Annual reviews also help identify assets that still need attention.
Does the firm coordinate with my financial advisor and accountant?
Yes. The program includes ongoing coordination with your financial planners and tax professionals so that your estate plan and your broader financial picture stay aligned. For example, if your advisor recommends a new investment, we work with them so the investment is titled in the name of your trust where appropriate.
What is a Trust Protector, and how does that fit into the program?
A Trust Protector is a role written into a trust that provides an added layer of oversight separate from the trustee. Under the program, the firm can serve as Trust Protector, which generally involves monitoring that the trust is administered according to your intentions, overseeing the trustee, amending trust terms when a change in law or circumstances requires it, and helping resolve disputes between trustees and beneficiaries. Whether your trust includes this role depends on how it was drafted.
Can I bring in estate planning documents that were signed elsewhere?
The program is built around keeping a plan and its assets aligned, so the starting point is a review of your existing documents and how your assets are titled. Whether documents prepared by another attorney can be brought into the program depends on what they provide and whether they need to be updated first. Contact us to discuss your existing plan and current program terms.
How do I enroll in the Client Care Program?
Contact our office to schedule a conversation about the program. We will review your current plan and assets, explain how the program would apply to your situation, and go over current program terms. Enrollment generally follows once you decide the program is right for you.
