During the coronavirus pandemic, Ford + Bergner has seen an increase in clients inquiring about making updates to their Wills and powers of attorney. In particular, clients are concerned about designating someone to make medical decisions for them if they are unable to make medical decisions. Likewise, they are concerned about making sure that their Wills are updated in the event of an unexpected death.
However, one of the consistent questions clients are asking is, “Is it possible for us to execute our new documents without having to come into an office?” With the constantly changing mandates from the Governor and local officials around Texas, concerns over completing estate planning without having to come into an attorney’s office are natural concerns. Ford + Bergner has worked hard to help clients overcome these issues.
In most cases, F+B is conducting interviews by phone or by Zoom to conduct the initial consultation with clients to discuss their estate planning desires. Thereafter, we exchange documents with clients by email for their review. Once the client is ready to sign their documents, we continue to offer clients the opportunity to come into our office, but for those clients who prefer to execute their documents remotely, we schedule remote notaries to go to the client’s home with their documents. When clients execute their documents with a mobile notary, they can either sign the documents in their home, or they can sign them outside on a patio or in another outdoor space that provides comfort to the client.
With the easy remote execution of estate planning documents, Ford + Bergner has been able to make the estate planning process as easy as possible for clients wanting to update their estate planning while still addressing concerns over social distancing. Should you need assistance in updating your Wills and powers of attorney, please do not hesitate to contact us.