Some people, whose primary goal in pursuing estate plans changed from tax reduction to revocable dispositive intent planning, and who initially only acquiesced grudgingly to the estate planning and charitable structures, want to eliminate them, but haven’t yet.

As 2010 estate tax repeal draws near people increasingly second-guess whether the more suitable estate planning tools were selected, the costs, including: the ongoing maintenance, potential exposure, and actions required to keep the tools compliant throughout the year, were merited.

Increasingly, people want to change the estate plans to hold onto, maintain control of wealth for the rest of their lives, and leave less to the children ask, “Is there a better way to achieve our goals and ensure realization of our dispositive intent?”

Some have unknowingly gotten involved in overly complicated arrangements, unnecessary obligations, or illiquid arrangements, and need multifaceted expertise in unwinding and salvaging the existing tools, or configuring replacement tools.

Some, looking to cut insurance portfolio costs or access them for cash, have not done so because the portfolios are intertwined with estate planning tools/ schemes/ instruments/ entities.

These people have one element in common, not taking action. The reason they haven’t taken action is that they are expecting that the alterations will force a repeat of the unpalatable and overly complicated lawyer-only estate planning process endured years earlier.

Many people voice displeasure with lawyer - only estate planning; the process, the manner of providing results, and lack of results efficacy.

They also don't understand the extent of the lawyer’s role in the estate planning process, or the role of non-lawyer estate planners.  Lawyers have a role, overly complicated estate planning tools/schemes/ instruments/entities, less so. Lawyers provide the indispensible legal guidance, drafting, and executing in a limited form, less so in a comprehensive form.

The estate planning space is served by a team including non-lawyer advisers, who many would consider the centerpiece of the overall planning.

This is especially so for those who have a greater requirement for certainty, flexibility and preferability, because they must have it done right, need to know that it will work, and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that  it will work.

Many people are not aware of the non-lawyer adviser’s role in the process, or multitude of non-lawyer estate planning solutions, and estate planning trade downs.

WHERE TO FIND THE MISSION CRITICAL GUIDANCE?