Our Firm's Process
Corporation Questionnaire
Estate Planning Questionnaire- Married Couple
Estate Planning Questionnaire- Single Person
LLC Questionnaire
Probate Questionnaire
As Legal Counsel to East Tennessee Entrepreneurs and Families™ Michael L.
Smith has created a unique process that ensures each client receives
personalized attention and efficient professional advice. Below are the
essential steps each client will take while working with our firm:
1. Schedule Your No Obligation Initial Consultation: The first step to personal or business peace of mind is up to you. To schedule a consultation simply give us a call at 865-777- WILL (9455) or complete the “Contact Us” form on the left side of this page.
2. Complete the appropriate Client Questionnaire: After the consultation is scheduled, you will need to complete the appropriate Client Questionnaire and return it to our office at least three (3) business days prior to our meeting. The Questionnaire does three things: 1) allows us to review relevant information in preparation for our meeting, 2) saves you from spending your valuable time filling out information in our office on the day of our meeting, and 3) saves you money because we don’t have to charge you for our time to obtain the information during the consultation. PDF forms of the Client Questionnaire for each particular practice area can be found above.
3. Personal Law Consultation™ or Business Law Consultation™: We provide each potential client with a free one-half (1/2) hour initial consultation. A no obligation initial consultation provides attorney and potential client an opportunity to mutually determine if our services are a good fit for their needs. Consultation time which exceeds one-half hour will be billed based upon our standard hourly fee. A typical Personal Law Consultation™ will last approximately 45 minutes for a simple estate and between 1 and 1 ½ hours for a complex estate. A typical Business Law Consultation™ will last approximately 1 hour. If both parties agree to enter into an Attorney-Client relationship for services, the client will sign an Attorney-Client Engagement letter which outlines the scope of legal services to be provided and the associated legal fees to be paid. For the majority of Estate Planning and Business Planning clients we will quote a Flat Legal Fee services based upon information gathered from the initial consultation.
4. Document Preparation & Signing Ceremony: After our firm is engaged we will prepare your legal documents and send you a draft for your review. Upon your final approval we will schedule a time for you to sign the documents in our office. Once all documents have been signed, your original documents and any additional instructions will be given to you in an organized binder.
5. Free Periodic Reviews of your Estate Plan: Upon your request, we will review your Estate Planning documents for free and verify that your plan still accomplishes your wishes as circumstances in your life change. Simply give us a call and we will be glad to review our copy of your documents and make any necessary recommendations.