Still no estate planning docs.

[niccig]

A few years back we saw an attorney to do up our estate planning documents. We signed all the papers. Then last year, she followed up on some property that need transferring into our family trust. That was all finished by June of last year.

I still don't have copies of our estate plans. I called about March of this year, and was told they would double check our file and see if it's all complete and get back to me on it. They didn't. And I got busy and let it go.

Now, I've got time to chase, I want my estate planing documents. We set up a trust and I need those documents to put bank accounts into those names and that's one reason I've procrastinated on setting up some accounts to better manage our money.

I called on Monday, left a message saying I called few months back and no word on our copies. I want them. Receptionist said she'll have the attorney we dealt with call us back. No phone call back. It's only been a couple of days.

I plan to call next week and then every week if I have to. Any other recourse..report to the bar if it goes on for too long? Any particular wording to use to get attention on this? How long should I expect it to take to get copies?

We did like the work she did, I thought she was quite thorough with the planning. Everything is signed. We did pay for the estate planning and we paid for last year's transfer of property title - that was through a title company, but I never got billed for her time on that - she read over the transfer, suggested some changes.

We're not going to use her again, not that I've mentioned that. Since using her we've made a close friend whose father is an estate attorney and he will make any future changes for us and give us his "friend's" rate.

Thanks.

[bubbaray]

I would send a letter, to the lawyer and cc the managing partner of the firm. Just call and ask the receptionist who that is.

We met with (lawyer) in (year, date if you have it). Ms Lawyer prepared documents, which we signed on (date). We have repeatedly asked for copies of the estate planning documents on (all dates you telephoned). To date, we still have not received the requested documents.

We have been patient. However, you have not responded to our repeat requests, nor returned any of our telephone calls. We are extremely upset at how we have been treated by your firm.

We require copies of our file provided to us by the close of business today, at no cost to us. We can be reached at (home, cell numbers).

Yours truly,


blah blah blah.

[niccig]

Thanks Melissa. I'm going to call again next week. I did drop the ball on this as well, so I'll give them a chance to get their act together. Then I'll go hardball. ;)