We go slow, then quick.
We take the time up front to actually understand what you need. Once we do, we move fast — clear answers, drafts sent in advance, and a firm that keeps you in the loop instead of leaving you waiting.
Working with Mesa Estate Planning starts with a free consultation and ends with documents you fully understand, properly executed, and a trust that's actually funded. The process takes most clients three to six weeks from first conversation to signed plan. Every step is designed to make sure you know exactly what you have and why before you commit to anything.
Most estate planning firms quote you a price over the phone, take a retainer, and a few weeks later hand you a stack of documents to sign that you've never seen before. The signing meeting moves fast because the next client is already waiting.
That approach produces signed documents. It doesn't always produce plans that clients understand, trust, or know how to use.
We flip the order. Up front we go slow — we want to understand your situation before we recommend anything, and we want you to understand our recommendation before you agree to it. Then we move fast on turnaround. Drafts show up before the signing meeting. Questions get answered the same day. You shouldn't have to wonder where your plan stands.
The Questionnaire
Before your consultation, we send a brief intake questionnaire that covers the basics — your family situation, what you own, whether you have any existing documents, and what's prompting you to look at this now.
This isn't busywork. It lets us use the consultation time to actually discuss your situation and our thinking rather than spending the first twenty minutes collecting information we could have gathered in advance. Clients who complete it get more out of the first meeting.
Free consultation
The consultation is a conversation, not a sales pitch. We review what you submitted, ask follow-up questions, and get a clear picture of your assets, your family, and what you're trying to accomplish.
By the end of the meeting you'll know whether you need a trust or a will, what other documents belong in your plan, and roughly what the work involves. There's no pressure to proceed and no commitment required. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you.
The consultation is free and takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Most people leave with more clarity than they expected.
Our recommendation
After the consultation, we prepare a written recommendation that outlines the specific documents we're proposing, what each one does, and why we're recommending that particular structure for your situation.
This is the step most firms skip. Rather than presenting a menu of services with prices, we tell you what we think you actually need and explain the reasoning. You review it at your own pace, ask questions, and decide whether to move forward. The flat fee is quoted at this stage — you know the total cost before committing to anything.
Document review
Once you've engaged us and we've drafted your documents, we send them to you in advance of the signing meeting. We don't believe in handing someone a stack of papers at a table and asking them to sign on the spot.
We include a plain-English summary of each document — what it does, who it names, and what authority it grants. You review everything before we meet. If something doesn't look right, we revise it. The signing meeting is for questions and execution, not first impressions.
Signing, execution, and funding
The signing meeting is where everything becomes official. We walk through each document together, answer any remaining questions, and handle notarization and witness requirements on the spot. You leave with a complete, properly executed plan.
For clients with a revocable living trust, the work isn't finished at signing. A trust that isn't funded — meaning assets haven't been transferred into it — doesn't avoid probate, which defeats much of the purpose. We provide specific funding guidance for your situation: which assets to retitle, how to update beneficiary designations, and what to do with accounts your financial institution handles directly. Most clients complete funding on their own with our guidance. We're available to answer questions throughout.
After the plan is in place
We recommend reviewing your plan after any significant life event and every three to five years regardless. If your situation changes — a new child, a divorce, a major asset acquisition, a move — the plan should keep up.
We make it easy to come back. Existing clients get priority scheduling and a straightforward process for amendments and updates. Your plan shouldn't become a document you file away and forget.
Frequently asked
How long does the process take from first consultation to signed documents?
Most clients complete the process in three to six weeks. The timeline depends on how quickly we receive information, the complexity of the plan, and your availability for the signing meeting. Clients with urgent circumstances — a medical procedure, an upcoming trip, a pending transaction — can often be accommodated on a faster timeline.
What should I bring to the consultation?
The questionnaire covers most of what we need. If you have existing estate planning documents, bringing them is helpful. A rough sense of your assets — real estate, accounts, business interests, life insurance — is useful even if the numbers aren't precise. You don't need to have everything organized before the first meeting.
Do both spouses need to attend the consultation?
For married couples, yes if possible. Estate planning decisions affect both spouses, and the conversation is more productive when both people are in the room. If scheduling makes that difficult, we can accommodate separate conversations, but we prefer to meet with both spouses together at least once.
What if I want to make changes after the documents are drafted?
We revise until the plan reflects what you want. Changes before signing are part of the process. If you review the draft documents and something doesn't look right — a trustee you want to change, a provision you want to add — we address it before the signing meeting.
How does trust funding work and do you help with it?
Trust funding is the process of transferring assets into your trust so they avoid probate. We provide specific written guidance for your situation after signing — which accounts to retitle, how to update beneficiary designations, and which assets transfer automatically versus which require a deed or account change. Most clients handle the funding themselves with our guidance. We're available by phone or email to answer questions that come up.
What does it cost?
All work is flat-fee, quoted after the free consultation once we understand your situation. You'll know the total before you commit to anything. We don't bill hourly and there are no surprise invoices.
Ready to start?
Book a free consultation. We'll walk through your situation and tell you exactly what you need.
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