Our Process
Initial Meeting
Your initial meeting is time devoted to conversations about you, your loved ones, your goals, and objectives to create a personalized and comprehensive estate plan that best suits your specific needs.
At the end of this meeting, fees will be quoted and the signing process will be discussed.
Drafting and Reviewing
In the days between the initial meeting and the signing we will be busy creating your plan. If we have any questions during this time, we will reach out to you. This is also a great opportunity for you to follow up with us if you have any further questions or need to make additions to your plan.
Signing Meeting
The purpose of this meeting is to finalize and execute your estate plan. This includes any and all trust(s), will(s), Power of Attorney for Property (Assets), Health Care, Living Will(s), and HIPPA forms. After all documents have been signed, you will be given an "Estate Planning Portfolio" binder with all of your original documents and set(s) of copies.
About Daniel O. Hands
Experienced Legal Counsel
Founded in 1975, The Law Offices of Daniel O. Hands, P.C. has been providing his clients with unparalleled legal services. Daniel Hands, our lead estate planning and probate lawyer, has been practicing law for over three decades. His wealth of legal experience can help you make tough decisions about your family's future. Whether you need legal consultation or looking to create an estate plan, our highly skilled team will walk you through every step, taking care of any issues you may have along the way.
What drives Dan Hands' passion for estate planning?
"When I was 13, my father died of a heart attack at 56 years old while on a business trip. My father owned a trucking company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At that point in time, my parents had no estate plan in place so my father's entire company went to probate court and the company passed to my dad’s heirs. One-third of the company to my mom, and one-sixth to each of my brothers, sisters, and myself. I am sure it was my father’s intention to leave the entire company to my mother but failing to put his plan in writing caused legal proceedings, taxes and a public record which all could have been avoidable.
When I graduated from law school in 1975, I went to work for a law firm in the Chicago area representing trucking companies before the Interstate and Illinois Commerce Commissions. In the early 1980’s the trucking industry was deregulated, and I decided I would assist clients in avoiding problems my family experienced due to my father’s sudden death.
Helping my clients protect their wishes, hard work and assets is a great honor. To me, the work is not just about creating documents and putting together the estate planning “puzzle” – it is also about providing peace of mind and freedom from worry. Of course, estate plans are also puzzles – and fascinating ones at that. Solving them requires many skills: facility with financial instruments; knowledge of the law; a good “bedside manner”; an ability to listen and empathize; and creativity."