Our Estate Planning Process

A structured process designed to move from the first appointment through plan design, document preparation, funding guidance, signing, and delivery.

GETTING STARTED

Appointment Booked

Day 0

We’ll help you prepare so your consultation is focused and productive. You’ll know what to expect, what information is helpful, and what happens next.

PLAN DIRECTION

Initial Consultation

Day 1

We’ll help you identify what matters most, understand the planning opportunities in front of you, and establish a clear direction for your plan.

PLAN DESIGN

Design Meeting

Within the First Week

We’ll guide you through the important decisions about your family, assets, decision-makers, and legacy so the plan reflects what you actually want to accomplish.

PUTTING THE PLAN TO WORK

Funding & Implementation

Before Delivery

We’ll show you how your assets should work with your plan, help with the pieces we can handle, and give you a clear path for anything that remains.

PLAN COMPLETION

Signing & Delivery

Typically Within Two Weeks Once We Have Everything We Need

We’ll guide you through signing, organize the final plan, and make sure you understand how the pieces work together. You leave with a completed plan and clarity about what has been accomplished.

ONGOING GUIDANCE

Ongoing Support

After Delivery

You are not expected to navigate future changes alone. As questions arise or life changes, Cardon Law remains available to help you understand how those changes may affect your plan and what, if anything, should happen next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the estate planning process take?

Many foundational estate plans can move from the initial consultation through design, signing, and delivery in about two weeks. The exact timing depends on the complexity of the plan, how quickly needed information is available, and whether coordination with financial institutions, business interests, real estate, or other third parties is required.

Our goal is to keep the process moving clearly and efficiently without rushing the decisions that matter.

What should I expect at the initial estate planning consultation?

The initial consultation is a conversation about your family, assets, concerns, goals, and any planning you already have in place.

We use that meeting to understand what matters most to you, identify the planning issues that may need attention, and establish a clear direction for the plan. You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what documents or strategies you need. Part of our role is helping you understand the choices in front of you.

What happens at the estate planning design meeting?

The design meeting is where the important decisions behind the estate plan are worked through in more detail.

Depending on your circumstances, that may include decisions about trustees, successor decision-makers, beneficiaries, distributions, incapacity, business interests, real estate, asset protection, and other planning concerns.

The goal is to make sure the plan reflects how you actually want things to work, rather than simply filling in names on a set of standard documents.

What does it mean to fund a trust?

Funding a trust means coordinating your assets with the trust so the plan can work as intended.

That may involve transferring certain assets into the trust, reviewing how real estate or business interests are owned, and making sure beneficiary designations and other ownership arrangements fit with the overall plan.

Some funding steps can be handled with our help, while others may require action by you, a financial institution, an advisor, or another third party. We help you understand what needs to happen and give you a clear path for completing the remaining steps.

What happens after my estate plan is signed?

Signing the documents is an important milestone, but it is not always the end of the planning process.

Some funding or implementation steps may continue after delivery, and your plan may need attention as your family, assets, business interests, or goals change over time.

As questions arise or circumstances change, Cardon Law remains available to help you understand whether anything in your plan needs to be reviewed or updated.

A Clear Process. A Plan Built Around You

Estate planning involves important decisions, but you do not have to figure them out on your own. We guide the process, help you understand the choices in front of you, and handle the legal work required to turn those decisions into a coordinated plan.

The goal is not simply to leave with signed documents. It is to know that you have taken meaningful steps to protect the people, assets, and responsibilities that matter to you.

Ready to Start Your Plan?

Schedule a conversation with Cardon Law and take the first step toward putting a clear, coordinated estate plan in place.

Schedule a Consultation
Jeff Cardon reviewing estate planning documents with a client in his Pleasant Grove, Utah office.