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Probate & Trust Law Section Conference Manual ... - Minnesota CLE

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client would assume would be included in the standard engagement. As attorneys we know these items<br />

can take significant additional time and assume substantial risk. For example, the client may assume the<br />

following are part of the estate planning or probate engagement:<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Provide beneficiary designation language and update assistance<br />

<strong>Trust</strong> funding<br />

Drafting a deed<br />

Completing a tax return<br />

Amending a Will or <strong>Trust</strong> in the future<br />

Reviewing a purchase agreement<br />

Maintaining the estate checking account<br />

Several times throughout an engagement you may need to remind the client about the scope of the<br />

project:<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

During the initial client meeting or consultation<br />

In the Engagement Letter<br />

During the engagement process<br />

In a follow up or closing letter<br />

Be sure to have a frank discussion with the client about the fees for the engagement. Be ready for<br />

the initial sticker shock. People often assume that creating a Will is a simple process and thus should cost<br />

no more than a couple of hundred dollars. Once you figure out your fee structure (which is a topic for<br />

another whole session), stick to it. Simply be ready to discuss your fees with the client. Often times once<br />

the client better understands all that goes into the process, they are more accepting of the cost.<br />

Have a verbal conversation as well as clearly stating the fees in an engagement letter and drawing<br />

the clients attention to the fee section. Nothing is worse than completing an engagement and having a<br />

client act surprised over the fees charged. You may need to reiterate throughout the engagement process<br />

what the fees are. This is especially true if the fees may fluctuation. For example, if you charge a fee per<br />

deed drafted or separate fees for trust funding assistance.<br />

It is always better to error on the side of over-communicating and explaining these items so that<br />

there is a clear understanding of the scope of the engagement.<br />

a. Billing<br />

Billing is often an attorney’s least favorite activity. Can you bill for your time while billing? Did<br />

I accurately track all of my time? Will my client remember the fee arrangement? Will the hours surprise<br />

the client? And the list goes on and on.<br />

Billing is a very important part of the engagement and must be handled. Obviously it is important<br />

to collecting money and being profitable. That is after all why we are doing all of this! But billing serves<br />

other purposes during the engagement. Billing provides an opportunity to communicate with clients. It<br />

shows a client that you are working on their engagement even if you have not spoken to them or met with<br />

them recently. It is essential to provide specific descriptions for this purpose. Make sure to tell your<br />

4

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