Design Meeting Agreement

This agreement explains what your Family Protection Audit includes and how its fee works. It applies when you book an Audit with North Coast Estate Law, APC. By booking, you agree to these terms. If anything here doesn't fit your situation, call me at (858) 201-7600 before your Audit.

In this agreement, "you" means the person who books the Audit and any spouse or partner who attends with them. "I," "me" and "the firm" mean North Coast Estate Law, APC and its attorney, Bridget Burns.

1. What the Family Protection Audit is

The Family Protection Audit is the firm's design meeting: the first step for every estate planning client. It's a 90-minute meeting by video with me, Bridget Burns, a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

2. What it includes

During the Audit, we will:

• Review what you own and how each asset is titled, so you know whether your family would go through probate under your current arrangements
• Screen any existing will, trust or other estate planning documents you provide, as described in section 3
• Work through your guardian and trustee decisions with you
• Identify the plan your family needs and give you its fixed, all-in fee in writing

Within 5 business days after your Audit, I will send you your Family Protection Roadmap: a short, plain-English written report of where your family stands under your current documents and arrangements, what would need to change, and the fixed fee to do it.

3. Review of existing documents

If you provide estate planning documents prepared by another attorney or service, the Audit includes a screening review of those documents and of the recorded title to your California residence. A screening review looks for problems that commonly cause existing plans to fail, including how your residence and other assets are titled, who is named to serve and to inherit, the age and form of your powers of attorney and health care directive, the number of prior amendments, and the state whose law governs your trust. It results in my recommendation that your plan appears to need no change, a targeted amendment, or a full restatement or new plan.

A complete review of your trust and all prior amendments is performed only if you engage the firm to amend, restate or replace your plan, and it is included in the flat fee for that engagement. My screening is based only on the documents you provide, so please provide complete copies, including every amendment.

4. What it does not include

The Audit is a limited-scope engagement. It does not include:

• Drafting, revising or signing any trust, will, deed or other document
• Transferring or retitling any asset
• Tax, financial, investment or insurance advice
• Medi-Cal or public-benefits planning
• Any dispute, litigation or court proceeding
• Matters governed by the law of a state other than California

Any of these, if you want them, require a separate written agreement.

5. The fee

The Audit is a flat fee, paid in full when you book:

The fee covers the Audit and the Family Protection Roadmap described in section 2. If the firm offered you a different rate in writing and you booked at that rate, that rate applies.

6. Payment disclosure (California Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15(b))

The Family Protection Audit fee is a flat fee paid in advance. North Coast Estate Law will deposit it into its operating account, not a client trust account. You have the right to require that this fee be held in a client trust account until it is earned. The fee is earned in two stages: half when I complete your pre-Audit review, and the rest when your Audit has been held and your Family Protection Roadmap has been delivered. If the Audit is not completed, or our representation ends before it is, you are entitled to a refund of any part of the fee not yet earned. If you would prefer your fee held in trust, please call (858) 201-7600 before booking.

7. When the fee is earned

The fee is earned in two stages. Half is earned when I complete your pre-Audit review: your questionnaire, any documents you send me, and the recorded title to your California residence. I do this review in the two business days before your Audit. The other half is earned when your Audit has been held and your Family Protection Roadmap has been delivered.

8. Rescheduling, missed appointments and cancellation

• Rescheduling: you can reschedule anytime up to 24 hours before your Audit, using the link in your confirmation email. Your completed review carries over to the new time.
• Cancelling within 24 hours, or missed appointment: I'll contact you to book one new time. If your Audit isn't held within 30 days, I'll refund the half that wasn't earned. The half for your completed review stays earned.
• Cancellation: if you cancel before your review begins, I'll refund your fee in full.

Refunds go back to the card you paid with, normally within 10 business days.

9. Credit toward your plan

If you sign an engagement agreement with the firm for your estate plan within 14 days after your Audit, the full Audit fee you paid is credited toward your plan fee. The credit applies to the plan fee only, not to add-ons or other matters. After 14 days, no credit applies, and the Audit fee remains earned. The credit can't be transferred and has no cash value.

10. Your plan, if you go ahead

The fee I quote at your Audit is a fixed, all-in flat fee for the plan we discuss. There is no obligation to go ahead. If you do, we'll sign a separate written engagement agreement before any drafting begins, and that agreement will govern the plan work.

11. Couples: joint representation

If you attend the Audit with a spouse or partner, I represent you both jointly for the Audit. That means:

• Anything either of you tells me relating to the plan may be shared with the other. I can't keep a confidence from one of you that affects the plan.
• I don't advocate for one of you against the other.
• If your interests come into real conflict, I may not be able to continue representing either of you, and I'll tell you if that happens.

Before your Audit, I'll ask each of you to confirm by email that you've read this section and consent to joint representation.

12. Confidentiality

What you tell me during the Audit is confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege, under California law. I don't record Audits.

13. Your part

The Audit is only as good as the information I'm given. You agree to give me complete and accurate information about your family, your assets and any existing documents, and to bring or send copies of the documents you want reviewed.

14. No guarantees

My review reflects California law as of your Audit and the information you give me. I can't guarantee any particular outcome. Laws change, and facts you haven't shared with me may change the answer.

15. Ending our engagement

You may end this engagement at any time. I may end it as permitted by the California Rules of Professional Conduct. Either way, you're entitled to a refund of any part of the fee not yet earned.

16. When our engagement ends

If you don't sign an engagement agreement for your plan, our attorney-client relationship ends when I deliver your Family Protection Roadmap. After that, I have no continuing duty to advise you, review your documents further, monitor changes in the law, or remind you of anything, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

17. The rest

This agreement is governed by California law. It's the complete agreement for the Audit and replaces anything said or written before about it.