How We Work

 Planning For the Ones You Love

Our process begins with a Family Wealth Planning Session. Before the Session you will complete homework that will have you feeling more organized and put together than you have in a long time. Maybe ever.

During the Session, we will look at what would happen to all of what you have and everyone you love, if anything were to happen to you.

Then, we’ll determine a plan together to make sure everything goes the way you want it to so you are always in control. And so your family always knows just how much you care.

Should we decide there are things we can do to take care of your family better than they are taken care of now, we will present you with planning options that allow you to decide on your fee and the level of service that is right for you and your family.

Three Levels of Planning

Estate planning at Batsche Law PLLC is not one size fits all. We offer 3 levels of planning to suit your varying needs.  From starter plans primarily for families with young children and little in the way of financial wealth to more robust plans for well-established families concerned with matters of asset protection, preservation and increased growth, we’ve got you covered.

Generally, our fees for a married couple with kids who is not focused on keeping the family out of court range between $2,000 up to $8,000 on the high end for an extensive plan that provides significant asset protection after death + maximum protection for your assets from inadvertent loss to the State Department of Unclaimed Property or the Court process.  It’s our opinion that if you are looking for less expensive planning, you may as well read up and do it yourself because you’ll get the same quality of planning online as you will with any lawyer charging fees that are less than what we offer here.

We’ve priced our planning for you at the intersection of affordability and effectiveness. When we meet for your Family Wealth Planning Session, we will review the 3 planning levels with you, and you will choose your own fee based on your budget and the planning options that are most important to you and your family. Our plans are focused on ensuring your family has somewhere to turn if and when something happens to you, that your plan will work and you have real security, not the false security that comes with a cheap set of estate planning documents.

There truly is no one size fits all choice. We have created a process, though, to educate you quickly and effectively so that you can make empowered, informed choices about what you want for the people you love, so that you aren’t simply choosing the cheapest option because you don’t have any other basis for making your decisions.

Personalized Service 

We believe in personalized service for each and every client. Our approach is educational and proactive – we educate you based on the specifics of your family situation, your assets, and your individual needs, wants, desires and values and then guide you to tell us what you want most, so we can create the plan (and the fee for that plan) that aligns with your objectives for your family and your assets.

We represent families throughout varying stages of life:

●      traditional two parent families or single parents wishing to provide for and protect their children and themselves;

●      unmarried couples who are either solidifying their relationship through proper planning or dissolving their relationship with the assistance of caring counsel;

●      blended families negotiating the challenges of creating new relationships with varying expectations;

●      families with special needs looking to ensure that their children with special needs will be taken care of and able to continue to receive government assistance;

●      family business owners seeking ways to protect and expand their companies and considering how and when to transition to the next generation of ownership

Leaving a Legacy

It’s more than just your money – Who You Are & What’s Important to You

How We Guide You to Leave a Legacy That’s About Much More Than Just Your Money

 After you are gone, your loved ones will miss you deeply. They will long for your words of counsel and concern. Hearing your voice again would be a tremendous gift. 

Through our unique legacy process, you can give your loved ones the most precious gift - a lasting expression of your love. What could be more valuable? 

At Batsche Law PLLC we believe estate planning is not just about transferring your financial assets and personal belongings. It’s also about capturing and transferring your valuable intangible gifts: who you are and what's important to you – your values, insights, stories and experience. 

Let Me Tell You a Story

Recently my father converted old family home videos to a digital format and shared them with my brother and I. We had fun watching all of them from seeing my parents as young parents bringing home their first baby to family vacations, it was thoroughly entertaining to watch. One video however, I will treasure more than all.

It’s a short clip of my grandfather.

My grandfather passed away in 2005. It’s been almost 15 years since I last heard his voice. I had a special relationship with my grandfather. Rather, I am sure all of his grandchildren did. He had a keen way of making each of us feel special and treasured, as though we were the most precious thing in the world to him.

In the short clip I can hear him talking to me as a little girl and if you listen carefully, you can hear him call me “grandpa’s girl”. When I first listened to it, I quickly pressed pause. Rewound, and listen to it again. I teared up a bit. I did not realize how much my heart missed hearing his voice, and not only his voice, but hearing him call me “grandpa’s girl”.

I love hearing stories about my grandparents and their upbringing. I love hearing about what they were like when they were younger. I love learning about how they’ve overcome different adversities in their lives. Learning their stories has given me such peace and encouragement in knowing we all have so much more in common than I ever knew.

And that’s when I realized: Although, it would be amazing to hear my grandfather speak to me again, that is not possible. But what I can do is help my clients create this memory for their loved ones.

 You Could Make a Recording, But Who Has Time?

 When I was first started my practice, I would tell my clients to record a message for their loved ones and put it in a safe place or simply write notes to their children letting them know how they felt about them.  But so few people ever actually did it. We just get so caught up with the day-to-day of our lives that focusing in on leaving a legacy seems to take a back seat.

We realized we’d have to build this into our planning process and not make it just another thing you’ll get done someday. That’s why at Batsche Law PLLC we make it part of our planning for every client to help you capture and pass on more than just your money: your intellectual, spiritual and human assets, who you are and what’s important to you.  

We Help You Capture These Precious Moments

For more information about how we help you pass on your most valuable assets – your values, insights, stories and experience - to your loved ones, or about our resources for leaving your family with a true legacy, please contact us.

What Would It Be Worth?

Can you picture someone who’s passed away, someone you love and miss deeply?   Can you recall a conversation you had with them? Can you remember the sound of their voice and what they told you?  What if you could hear their voice again? 

What if they could speak to you—heart to heart—and share their wisdom and advice?  What would it be worth to you to hear their words one more time?

What is it worth to you to know that they’ll always know exactly how much you love them?  It’s worth a lot to us and we are honored to be able to provide you and your family with this gift.

 Planning For Your Children

Having a Will Alone Simply Does Not Ensure the Care of Your Kids If the Unthinkable Happens to You!

If you are a parent of minor children (or those with special needs) who are counting on you, your estate plan must begin with ensuring your children would always be taken care of by the people you want, in the way you want, no matter what happens.  

At Batsche Law PLLC one of our areas of greatest expertise is in planning for the well-being and care of the children you love. 

Without advance legal planning for the care of your children, if the unthinkable happens to you, here’s what could happen:

●      Your children could be placed into the care of Child Protective Services (yes, even if you have a will in place and even if you have a living trust) and, yes, it would very likely only be temporary, but trust us, you never want your children in the arms of strangers.  Not even for a minute.

●      Your children could be put into the custody and care of someone you would never want, like that one family member who has good intentions, but you’d never want raising your kids.

●      A judge who doesn’t know you, or your family, will decide who will raise your kids, even if it’s the last person you would ever want;

●      Your family could get into a long, drawn out custody fight or there could be a challenge to the guardians you have designated;

●      Up to 5% of the value of your assets could be lost to court costs and other unnecessary fees through the probate process, a court process that can tie up your assets for years and deprive your kids of the resources they need to live comfortably, which can totally be avoided with advance legal planning;

●      When your kids turn 18, they get a check for whatever assets are left;

●      There are unscrupulous people out there who make it their business to look at the public records to find out when 18 year olds are getting that inheritance check;

●      The vast majority of estate planning attorneys do not address these issues, and do not plan from a parent’s perspective.

Yes, these things scare us too. That’s why we offer a Kids Protection Plan with every estate plan we do for families with young children.

What is a Kids Protection Plan®?

A Kids Protection Plan® is a set of instructions, legal documents and even an ID card for your wallet, which you need to have if you have kids at home who count on you for their well-being and care.

If you are in an accident, your Kids Protection Plan® will make sure your children are never taken into the custody of Child Protective Services, strangers or the care of anyone you wouldn’t want because the authorities don't have clear instructions from you.  And your Kids Protection Plan® will ensure your children are raised by people you choose, not someone chosen by a Judge who doesn’t know you.

To get started with your Kids Protection Plan®, contact us.