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If you are meeting a lawyer for the first time, it can be daunting and emotional, particularly if the meeting concerns important decisions, such as planning for the future and decision-making for your disabled child.
We are there to guide you through the process, making it as easy as possible whilst addressing your worries and concerns.
We are asked regularly whether there is anything clients can do to prepare for their meeting with us, so we have put together our top tips which may be helpful to think about…
- Think about what you want to achieve –This should be your main focus, and it’s really helpful if you can think about what you would like to happen even if you’re not sure how.
- Get organised – it is an enormous help to have key information at your fingertips, particularly information about your assets (including life assurances, pensions and possible inheritances etc). We have designed our client questionnaire to help bring all of this information together in one place. We encourage you to fill this out with as much information as you can. If you are unsure of an answer then leave it blank and we can discuss it with you. Also, bring a list of questions – as many as you want.
- Guardians – If your child(ren) is under 18, start thinking about who might be their guardians. Understandably, this is often the greatest concern parents have, however, you don’t need to have made any final decisions. Think about different scenarios and who you might want to care for them if you are no longer around. Here’s a link to a blog we have written on Appointing Guardians for your Children which you may find helpful.
- Choosing Trustees – We don’t expect you to have made decisions about your Trustees. However, it is good to have an idea of your options and we can help to determine which would be best for you.
- Tell us about your child or loved one in advance. If your child or relative is attending the meeting with you, is there anything you can share about them that will help us strike the right tone and communicate the most effectively? We are flexible, and adapt our style to suit you and your family.
- Who else might attend the meeting? Do you want to bring a family member, friend or another person who can listen in and support? We are very happy for you to do this.
- Set aside enough time for the meeting. In our experience, an initial meeting typically lasts anywhere between 1.5 and 2 hours. You may only need to have one meeting with us as we can deal with everything else by email, telephone and post. If you would prefer a second meeting to sign the final documents, then we will arrange this with you.
Our team are friendly, approachable and understand that planning for the future can be a complex and emotional process. We make sure your needs are met in the most effective, forward thinking and economic way. Please do get in touch to discuss your individual situation.
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