How We Are Different

Our family matters to us….and so does your family 

We are Family Legacy Lawyers, Todd and Anne Brownell.  We have each been practicing law as licensed lawyers in California for over twenty years.  We both have worked for large law firms in San Diego and Sacramento earlier in our careers.   In the past, we have worked as litigators in various practice areas including securities law, insurance defense, construction defects, workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment law and employment discrimination.  We have represented both individuals and companies; both plaintiffs and defendants.

Drawing on our big firm experience, we opened our own law office in Sacramento in 1994.  Then ten years ago we moved our office to Folsom, California in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Over the years, we have learned that there is a better way to serve our clients.  We knew that our clients wanted quality services, a quality product, all at a predictable price.  So we kept what worked and tossed out what did not.  We put our clients at the core of everything we do.  We think we are different from other law firms in three important ways:

It’s all about you and your family…. it’s not about us

Your estate planning is about you, your family, and your legacy.  It is not about us.  It is not about how big a law school we went to, where we got our law degrees, or how many student organizations we belonged to.  Any lawyer can look up the answer to a tax or estate plan question in a book.  What is important to us is you, the client.  In the end, we are not the ones that have to live with your estate plan, you do.

A lot of lawyers intimidate their clients.  They need to demonstrate how smart they are, what certificates they hold, or pressure the prospective client into a one-size-fits-all plan that may or may not be what the client needs.  We do not do either of those things.  Our job is to listen to your concerns, identify your needs, and then use our expertise to customize a plan that best fits your needs. After all, your estate plan is about protecting those persons you love.

All of our Estate Planning is done on a fixed fee basis

When a lawyer bills a client hourly, the client is hesitant to pick up the phone and call.  The client fears that inevitable bill in the mail for just a few minutes of attorney phone or office time.  We don’t do that to you.  We know you want certainty. We want you call us.  We want you to feel comfortable in contacting our office.   We are here for you.  As part of our fixed fee charges, you can call us as much as you need to get your questions answered.  It is all about your peace of mind; not our need to bill you hourly.  We don’t punch a clock.  We work for you.

We will agree on a fixed fee price for your estate planning package before we begin.  We will speak openly and directly with you about fees. That’s right; you choose your own fee based on the scope and extent of services your estate plan requires.  You will know everything up front.  There are no surprises.  It makes the client happier; it makes us happier too.

We make it convenient to get your estate plan in place

In this hectic world we live in, everybody’s busy.  Families are busy with
work, school and jobs.  There are so many demands on our time.  The truth is that something like estate planning and legacy protection can be put off again and again, sometimes indefinitely.  That’s not good.

Death is never easy to talk about.  Most of us never even consider dying prematurely before our time.  But if the unthinkable happens, and you don’t have an estate plan in place to protect your family and your legacy, the results could be disastrous.

So we make it easy for you.  We have you fill out our detailed estate questionnaire and return it to our office before your first visit.  That way our first face to face meeting is more productive.  We know your time is valuable and we don’t want to waste it.  In most cases we will need to meet with you 2 to 3 times at our office over the course of your planning.  The entire process takes about 6 to 8 weeks to finalize your estate plan.  We also offer a funding plan and a periodic review plan to ensure that your estate plan always does for your family what you want it to do.

Contact us to schedule a Family Legacy Estate Planning meeting at our Folsom office conveniently located off E. Bidwell St.   We provide superior legal representation and 100% commitment to our clients and their families.