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We specialize in
Guardianships
Exactly What Are Guardianships?
A guardianship is a legal proceeding in which the court determines a person to be incapacitated (the ward) and appoints someone (the guardian) to make personal decisions for the ward where there are no sufficient alternate methods available.
This means the ward does not already have in place a durable power of attorney for health care decisions, or the person serving as agent under such a power of attorney is not doing their job.
We can not only guide you through the process of getting a guardianship set up through the court, but also provide guidance to ensure you meet the annual reporting requirements to the court.
We will not spam, sell, or rent your information!
We specialize in
CONSERVATORSHIP
A conservatorship is similar to a guardianship, except that it involves your money and other assets. A conservatorship is a legal proceeding in which the court determines a person to be incapacitated (the conservatee) and appoints someone (the conservator) to make financial decisions for the conservatee where there are no sufficient alternate methods available, meaning the conservatee does not already have in place a revocable trust or a durable power of attorney for financial decisions (or the person serving as agent under such a power of attorney is not doing their job).
We can not only guide you through the process of getting a conservatorship set up through the court, but also provide guidance to ensure you meet the annual reporting requirements to the court.
We will not spam, sell, or rent your information!
Trusted By 500+ clients and counting.
Casey Jo Gemmill
Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Setting up a will and trust is probably not at the top of most young parents list, however, my husband and I are extremely grateful. We can check that off the list. With two children and the age of five it was hard to think about that.
Adam Hickey
Professionalism, Responsiveness
Kari and Sarah made the process of setting up a trust very easy. They took the time to understand our situation and concerns. Would recommend Coultis law to anyone!!!
Delilah Klug
Professionalism, Responsiveness
Kari and Sarah went above and beyond when I needed help with my father’s estate. They are the most kindest and understanding two ladies that I’ve worked with. I would highly recommend them!
We will not spam, sell, or rent your information!
We Can Help You With Your
Guardianship & Conservatorship
Comprehensive Estate Plans
Revocable Living Trusts
Powers of Attorney
Advance Health Care Directives
Last Wills and Testament
Special Needs Trusts
Irrevocable Special-Use Trusts
We will not spam, sell, or rent your information!
Check out a few MORE testimonials from our happy clients.
Conservatorship
Jeremy M.
I am an attorney in Washington State and I hired Kari to set up a conservatorship for my mother who lived near Wichita. Kari was extraordinarily helpful and professional, and she made the process as easy as possible. I recommend her without reservation.
Trusted Estate Planning Partner
Becky
Kari was incredibly knowledgeable and efficient in working with us in the complicated world of estate planning. She was careful to ask detailed questions to fully understand our wishes and find ways to meet our legal needs. I wouldn’t work with anyone else!
Estate Planning and Trust
Anonymous
I have known Kari Coultis personally for a number of years. She has much integrity, and that made me feel confident that my business with her would remain confidential. I know without a doubt that she will be professional in her assistance when I need to contact her.
Kari Coultis
Jeremy A.
Kari Coultis is the leader in her field of state an elder law. She is professional and reasonable and her approach to multiple generations of clients. Her knowledge of legal, tax implications and financial concerns enable her to partner well on any estate planning team. Her generosity to the greater community is evident. Kari is highly recommended.
Attorney for Trust and Will Development
Linda V.
Kari was very helpful during our discussions of developing a plan that suited our needs. She’s very professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. I would recommend Kari for anyone interested in seeing their future needs.
Kari Coultis Made Getting a Trust Practical and Affordable
Joe M.
For a blended family, setting up a trust can be trying. Kari explained everything very clearly, was very understanding, and gave us peace of mind. I can’t imagine anyone doing a better job than she did for us.
We will not spam, sell, or rent your information!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is our general process?
We have an easy, 3-step process designed to have your trust and other estate planning documents created and signed in 6-8 weeks:
* The first step is to attend your Peace of Mind Planning Session. You’ll fill out a secure online questionnaire (“Family Profile”) before we meet so we can make the best use of our time together. At this Zoom session, you’ll learn all about your options and our flat fees. When you are ready to move forward, we’ll email you an engagement agreement and invoice, both of which can be executed online.
* Next is your Estate Plan Design Meeting. We’ll roll up our sleeves and design your trust and other estate planning documents, working off the information you provided in your Family Profile. After this session, we’ll draft your documents, and send a copy for your review about two weeks later. We’ll then make any changes or updates you’d like to make. When everything is good to go, we’ll coordinate an in-person Signing Ceremony.
*Your Signing Ceremony is where you’ll sign your documents with the proper legal formalities, in front of two witnesses and a notary. We can have this session at our office. If coming to our office to sign isn’t convenient, we can mail signature copies to you with instructions for signing.
What can I expect from my Peace of Mind Planning Session?
What are the initial steps to get started?
When you are ready to move forward, whether during your initial informational webinar, or later, just let us know. We’ll send you an engagement agreement via our client portal and an invoice via our secure online payment provider, LawPay. Once these housekeeping items are taken care of, you’ll schedule your Estate Plan Design Meeting.
What kind of information do you need from me?
Let me start by saying what we do NOT need! We do NOT need account statements, or tax returns. We DO need information on what kind of assets you own (house, retirement account, life insurance, etc.), their relative value, and how they are titled (jointly, individually, etc.) Beyond that, we simply need answers to questions about your personal estate planning preferences, including:
* Who you would want raising your minor children if something happened to you and your spouse or partner
* Who you want to be in charge of your children’s money until they are old enough to mange it themselves
* Who you want making medical and financial decisions for you in the event of your incapacity
Don’t worry if you don’t have the answers to these questions right away! You’ll have plenty of time to think things over throughout the process.
What is estate planning?
Estate planning is simply the process of getting legal documents in place so that your chosen individuals are appointed to take care of you, your children, your assets, and your finances in the event of your death or incapacity. The process also involves naming the people you want to inherit your assets when you are gone. An “estate plan” is simply a bundle of all the documents needed to accomplish these objectives.
If you don’t currently have a will or trust, you may think you don’t have an estate plan…. but you do. It’s just that the state of KS has written it for you! All states have a default plan for your family and assets in the event of your incapacity or death. That’s the plan you have now. Estate planning is “opting out” of the default plan and putting your own wishes in place.
How much does estate planning cost?
It depends! Estate planning is not one size fits all, so it’s hard for us to give you a quote without knowing more about you. Even if you believe your situation is relatively simple, there are likely nuances you are not considering. We discuss our fees and process at length in the Peace of Mind Planning Session, after we have counseled you on all your options. We do not discuss our fees outside the Peace of Mind Planning Session.
We understand that cost is an important factor in choosing an attorney, and that estate planning is a significant investment for many. It is our goal to be as transparent and fair as possible. For that reason, we offer fixed fees as opposed to billing by the hour, so you know exactly what your investment will be.
How long does the process take?
Can I sign my documents electronically?
What kind of clients do you accept?
Why do I need a living trust?
You have two options with your estate planning: a will-based plan, or a living trust-based plan. The vast majority of my clients choose a living trust. A living trust is a document where you appoint a chosen individual to manage your assets should you become incapacitated and distribute them to your family at your death. It is almost always preferrable to a will because it is designed to avoid the time, expense, and publicity of probate, which a will cannot avoid.
It comes as a surprise to many of my clients that wills do not avoid probate court…they guarantee it!
I go over the difference between a will and a living trust in depth during the Peace of Mind Planning Session. The most common question I get at the end of this session is, “Why would anybody ever do a will?!” Ultimately, however, the decision is yours.
What is probate?
Probate is the court-supervised process of administering your estate upon your death. If you die without a will, your estate must go through probate before all your money can be distributed to your heirs. And if you die WITH a will…your estate still has to go through probate! The best way to avoid probate is with a revocable living trust.
What’s so bad about probate? Even a simple probate can take years to complete and eats up as much as 5-10% of the estate assets in the meantime. It’s also a public proceeding that makes your will, your personal information, and the personal information of your heirs and beneficiaries available to anybody who wants to look at it.
Although a will is subject to the probate process, a living trust is designed to bypass it completely.
Is a simple Will enough?
Unfortunately, even a simple will is still subject to the expense and delays of probate. It’s not the complexity of the document itself that cause the time and expense, it’s the probate process itself. For this reason, most of my clients choose to create a living trust instead of a will, which is designed for simplicity and to avoid the probate process completely.
However, as part of an overall, comprehensive estate plan, a special “pour-over” will is used in conjunction with a living trust.
Isn’t estate planning just for the wealthy?
No. This is the biggest myth out there. Estate planning is in no way related to how much money you have, whether you are a married, or whether or not you are a parent.
Estate planning in putting legal documents in place that ensure your assets will go to the people you want, the way you want, when you are gone. It’s about making this as easy as possible on your loved ones during an otherwise difficult time. And we all care about that, no matter how much (or little) money we have.
It’s also about appointing people to manage your property and make health care decisions for you if you are incapacitated, something that matters to all of us regardless of wealth status.
What is a power of attorney?
A power of attorney lets you appoint someone to manage your property in the event of your incapacity. You will name someone you trust implicitly as your “agent”. They will step into your shoes and pay your bills, file your taxes, manage your business, etc. if you cannot.
We include a power of attorney for both spouses in every estate plan we create.
What is a health care power of attorney?
A health care power of attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to manage your medical decisions should you be unable to do so. A living will (not to be confused with a living trust or last will and testament) allows you to make certain medical decisions regarding end-of-life decisions, ahead of time.
We include a health care power of attorney and living will for both spouses in every estate plan we create.
What if I need to update my estate planning documents?
No problem! A living trust can be changed or revoked entirely as long as the creator is alive and has mental capacity to do so. Any will can also be changed through an amendment (called a “codicil”).
All other estate planning documents (power of attorney, health care proxy, etc.) are typically recreated as it is more cost-effective.
The main point is that your documents can (and probably will be) updated as your life, your assets, and the law all change.
I’m not married – do I need an estate plan?
How can I make sure my kids don’t get a big check on their 18th birthday?
How do I nominate legal guardians for my children?
You nominate legal guardians in a Will, or in your Revocable Living Trust. If you pass away without nominating guardians, a judge will make the decision for you. You also run the risk that family members will fight over who gets custody because you didn’t make your preference clear.
Can’t I just do my will on Legal Zoom?
Do you work with families in all 50 states?
Estate planning is an area of law that is state-specific. That means you should work with an attorney licensed in the state in which you reside. Our attorneys are licensed in Kansas. If you live in Kansas, we can prepare your estate planning documents. If you do not, message us, and we will be happy to refer you to an attorney licensed in your state.
Start Your Planning Today!
Protect your family and assets from the comfort of your own home
We will not spam, sell, or rent your information!
We Can Help You!
Estate Planning
Our experienced attorneys provide guidance on wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to protect your assets and provide for your loved ones.
Trust & Estate Administration
We guide you through every step of the process, from inventorying assets to making distributions, to ensure that you fulfill your legal obligations and honor the wishes of the deceased.
Guardianships & Conservatorships
Our compassionate attorneys guide you through the process, advocating for the best interests of the individual in need of protection and guardianship.