Don't Have an Estate Plan Yet? Start Here.

You don’t need to know whether you need a will, trust, or something else before scheduling. We’ll start by understanding your family, your assets, and what you want to accomplish, then help you organize the financial pieces and coordinate when legal planning is needed.

A Complete Estate Plan Is More Than Just Legal Documents.

Your Will or Trust is an important part of your estate plan—but it may not control every asset you own. Retirement accounts, life insurance, beneficiary designations, account ownership and other financial arrangements can affect how assets ultimately transfer. The question is whether all of those pieces are working toward the same goal.
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Your Legal Plan

Typically addressed with an estate-planning attorney:
​✓ Will
✓ Trust
✓ Power of Attorney
✓ Healthcare Directives
✓ Guardianship Provisions
✓ Other Legal Documents

These documents establish the legal framework for your wishes.

Your Financial Plan

Financial areas DFG can help you review:
​✓ Beneficiary Designations
✓ IRAs & 401(k)s
✓ Life Insurance
✓ Annuities
✓ Investment Accounts
✓ Bank Accounts & TOD/POD Designations
✓ Business Interests
✓ Estate Liquidity & Legacy Funding

These financial decisions can affect how your estate plan ultimately works.

Your Legal and Financial Plans Need to Work Together.

Dottenwhy Financial Group helps clients review the financial side of their estate plan, identify potential coordination gaps, and work alongside estate-planning attorneys and tax professionals when appropriate.​

Schedule My Complementary Estate Planning Review

What Happens During Your Complimentary Estate Planning & Coordination Review?

Whether you're starting from scratch or already have an estate plan, the first step is understanding where you are today. This isn't a legal consultation. It's a conversation designed to help organize the financial side of your estate plan, identify what may need attention, and determine the appropriate next steps.

If You Don't Have an Estate Plan

If You Already Have an Estate Plan

We'll help you get organized.
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We'll discuss your family, assets, beneficiaries, insurance, retirement accounts, property, business interests and legacy goals.

​We'll help identify financial considerations that may need to be addressed and, when legal planning is needed, coordinate with an estate planning attorney who can provide legal advice and oversee the preparation of the appropriate documents.
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We'll help you review the coordination.
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We'll discuss what's changed since your plan was created and review beneficiary designations, retirement accounts, life insurance, investments, account ownership and other financial assets.

We'll help identify potential coordination gaps and issues that may warrant discussion with an estate planning attorney or tax professional.
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Either Way, The Goal Is the Same.

A coordinated estate plan where your legal documents, financial decisions and legacy goals are working together.​

Our process is simple:

1. Understand

2. Review

3. Identify

We start with you.
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​We'll discuss your family, what you want your wealth to accomplish, what planning you've already completed, and any concerns or questions you have.

We look at the financial pieces.
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Depending on your situation, we'll discuss your beneficiaries, retirement accounts, life insurance, investments, account ownership, property, business interests and other financial assets.

We identify potential coordination gaps.

​​We'll help you understand what's already working together, what may deserve another look, and what next steps may involve an estate-planning attorney, CPA or other professional.

What You'll Leave With

✓ A clearer picture of how your financial assets and estate plan work together
✓ An understanding of potential gaps or areas that may deserve attention
✓ A review of beneficiary and account ownership considerations
✓ Specific questions to discuss with your estate-planning attorney or CPA, when appropriate
✓ A clear understanding of your potential next steps

If everything appears well coordinated, that's valuable to know too.

No Pressure. No Obligation

The purpose of the initial call is to help you understand your situation and determine what, if anything, needs attention. If additional financial planning could be helpful, we'll explain why. If legal or tax expertise is needed, we'll help identify the appropriate next step and coordinate with the appropriate professional when applicable.

Schedule My Complementary Estate Planning Review

Complimentary • No obligation • Financial coordination, not legal advice

You Don’t Have to Coordinate Your Estate Plan Alone.

Estate planning involves both legal and financial decisions. Rather than leaving you to coordinate everything on your own, Dottenwhy Financial Group helps guide the process and works alongside estate-planning legal professionals when their expertise is needed.​

Dottenwhy Financial Group

Estate-Planning Attorney

The Estate Planning Source

Financial Planning & Coordination
​✓ Clarify your family and legacy goals
✓ Organize your financial picture
✓ Review beneficiaries, accounts and ownership
✓ Review retirement, insurance and other assets
✓ Identify potential coordination gaps
✓ Help keep the financial and legal process connected

Dottenwhy Financial Group helps keep the financial pieces connected to the bigger picture.

Legal Advice & Oversight
​✓ Provides legal advice
✓ Determines appropriate legal strategies
✓ Addresses your legal questions
✓ Reviews and approves your estate-planning documents

Your attorney is responsible for the legal advice and legal aspects of your plan.

Document Fulfillment
✓ Supports the attorney's document-preparation process
✓ Prepares customized document packages as directed
✓ Produces and assembles the completed documents
✓ Provides implementation and trust-funding support​

The Estate Planning Source serves as a document-fulfillment resource supporting the estate-planning process.

Dottenwhy Financial Group is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Legal advice and legal services are provided by the estate-planning attorney.​

Is It Time to Create or Revisit Your Estate Plan?

Even a well-designed estate plan can become outdated as your family, finances and life change. See how many of these apply to you.

This conversation can be valuable whether you're starting from scratch or revisiting a plan you've had for years.

Your Life Has Changed

Your Financial Life Has Changed

✓ You don't currently have an estate plan
✓ You married, divorced or remarried
✓ A child or grandchild was born
✓ You've lost a spouse or family member
✓ You've received an inheritance
✓ You've moved to Colorado or another state
✓ Your children are now adults
✓ Your family has become blended

✓ You've retired or are approaching retirement
✓ You've opened or rolled over retirement accounts
✓ You've changed jobs or employers
✓ You've purchased or sold real estate
✓ You've started, sold or transferred a business
✓ You've purchased or changed life insurance
✓ Your assets have grown significantly
✓ It's been several years since you reviewed your beneficiaries
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Questions About the Estate Planning Process?

Estate planning can feel complicated. Here are answers to some of the most common questions we hear from Colorado families.​

Do I need an attorney to create an estate plan?

An estate-planning attorney provides the legal advice and oversight involved in creating your legal documents. Dottenwhy Financial Group focuses on the financial side of the planning process and can help coordinate with an estate-planning attorney when legal work is needed.

What if I don't have an estate plan yet?

That's a great place to start. We'll help you clarify your goals, organize the financial information relevant to your estate plan, and identify areas that should be considered. When legal planning is needed, we can help coordinate with an estate-planning attorney to move the process forward.

How do I know whether I need a will or a trust?

​You don't need to know before scheduling. Your family, assets, goals and circumstances can help determine what issues should be considered. When legal advice is needed, an estate-planning attorney can explain the available legal options and determine which documents are appropriate for your situation.

What if I already have a will or trust?

Your existing documents provide an important starting point. We'll focus on whether changes in your family or finances—and things like beneficiary designations, retirement accounts, insurance and account ownership—may warrant another look or further coordination with your attorney.

Does Dottenwhy Financial Group provide legal advice?

No. Dottenwhy Financial Group is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or prepare legal documents. Legal advice and legal services are provided by the estate-planning attorney. DFG helps clients navigate and coordinate the financial side of the estate-planning process.

What does the initial review cost?

There is no cost for your initial Estate Planning & Coordination Review and no obligation to move forward with additional services. The purpose of the meeting is to understand where you are today and determine what, if anything, may need attention.

What should I bring to the meeting?

Don't worry about having everything perfectly organized. If available, it can be helpful to have information about your existing will or trust, retirement accounts, investment accounts, life insurance, property, business interests and current beneficiary designations. We'll help you determine what's relevant.

What happens if I need new estate-planning documents?​

If legal documents are needed, DFG can help coordinate with an estate-planning attorney who provides the legal advice and oversight for your plan. The Estate Planning Source may support the attorney's document-fulfillment process. The attorney remains responsible for the legal aspects of your estate plan.

Your Estate Plan Should Reflect More Than Documents. It Should Reflect What Matters to You.

Whether you're creating your estate plan for the first time or reviewing one you've had for years, we'll help you understand how the financial pieces fit together, identify what may need attention, and determine the appropriate next steps.

Schedule My Complementary Estate Planning Review

Complimentary • No obligation • Financial coordination, not legal advice​

Serving families throughout Littleton, Denver and communities across Colorado.