Most of us don’t put nearly as much though as we should into planning how our estates will be distributed, and the estimates are that nearly two-thirds of Americans die intestate, without having prepared a will. While their estates will eventually be distributed according the inheritance laws in their states, those laws may not reflect at all how they would have chosen to pass on their assets. If you want to avoid that situation, finding a firm of experienced estate planning attorneys is your best answer.

Estate planning attorneys can help you regardless of whether you want to draft a simple will for a small estate; to change an existing will so that it reflects a change in your financial status; to establish a living trust; or to set up an estate plan which includes a will, trust, and your health care and life support directives.

Your estate planning attorneys will help you determine, from the existing state of your financial affairs, including your investments, real estate holdings, and personal property, what your estate planning goals should be. They will help you get a realistic picture of the potential needs of your survivors, and elicit a clear understanding of your final health care desires.

Estate planning attorneys can also advise you as to whether or not any personal changes in you life will require a change in your estate plan. If, for instance, you are widowed or divorced, in you later years, and considering remarriage, you should be aware that there may be consequences for your estate.

If you have children from an earlier marriage and intend to remarry, changing your estate plan so that you will include your new spouse among your heirs, there is a possibility of conflicted feelings among your children. Estate planning attorneys can suggest ways in which you can begin to distribute the assets you intend to leave to you children assets among your children during your lifetime without it causing tax consequences.

Sacramento Probate Attorneys at Generations Law is your source for filing probate in California and are experts in wills dispute law and trusts administration who are available in Folsom and Roseville. The Generations team of premier estate and tax planning attorneys provides confidential, individualized counsel and advice. Established in 1995 in Sacramento, California, Generations is renowned for its tax-smart, family-savvy, intensely-human representation and counsel in the following areas:

* Probate
* Estate Planning
* Trust Administration
* Tax Planning

The name Generations reflects the firm’s position as a devoted ally helping families and businesses make informed decisions about their futures through the years—from one generation to the next. The firm cares about your future. When you and your family experience life changes, Generations is here—for you and the generations of your family to come. If you require a probate attorney, call Generations immediately or contact them today.

Things are going along well with your client until one fateful day when they tell you they are not satisfied with your services. That’s one scenario. Another is that you’ve done a great job on one engagement but you don’t get asked back for another.

If you are a consultant or a member of an organization that works with clients, you know that closing the deal is only the beginning. The real work comes in delivering something that the client will think is so great that you are top-of-mind for their future requirements. How can you make sure that they are thrilled with your work? The answer is this: You must become a master at setting and managing their expectations.

Here two keys to making sure you and your client stay in synch:

Be Specific. Make sure you are both in agreement with what is going to occur during the time you work together. That means you need to
understand the following and have it in a signed contract:

* Exactly what is in and out of scope for the project
* Exactly what you are going to deliver to the client
* How you will do the work
* Key assumptions that you are both making about the engagement
* How issues that arise will be handled
* How you will keep the client informed throughout the project
* How the deliverables you produce will be accepted by the client
* The estimated project schedule
* How and when you will be paid

Be Consistent. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen consultants make is forgetting what’s in the contract once they are on the job. The problem comes when suddenly the client wants something that was not specified in the contract and you decide just to slip-it-in. If you are tempted to do more than the client has agreed to pay you for, let them know that you are doing so. Simply say something like, “This is outside the scope of the contract but we are happy to take care of it as long as it doesn’t exceed (whatever number of hours or resources you think it will take)”. By doing this you build up good will with the client and make it clear that you aren’t an endless source for unpaid work. The next time they request services that are outside the scope of the current contract you can say that you would be glad to provide them with a change request, which will cover the cost of the additional work.

Remember to read the contract on a regular basis. I’ve known many talented consultants who have gotten themselves into hot water with their clients because they simply forgot what they’d agreed to do in the first place.