Know exactly what your estate plan costs before you commit — no hourly billing surprises, no hidden fees, no retainer required.
Schedule a Free ConsultationUnder NC State Bar Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5 and S.C. Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5, attorneys may charge fixed (flat) fees for transactional legal work — provided the fee is reasonable, clearly communicated upfront, and confirmed in a written engagement letter. Most estate planning attorneys nevertheless bill by the hour, leaving clients uncertain about total cost until a final invoice arrives weeks after the work is done. The result is that many families delay estate planning entirely, or purchase inadequate online templates to avoid the uncertainty. Ryan offers a different approach: flat-fee pricing for every engagement, quoted before any work begins, with no hourly billing, no retainer, and no surprise invoices. Typical packages range from $195 for a stand-alone living will to roughly $1,995 for a fully funded revocable living trust package, with every fee documented in advance under Rule 1.5(b) so you decide whether to proceed before any legal time is billed.
Flat-fee pricing aligns Ryan's incentives with your interests. When billing by the hour, a slow attorney earns more than an efficient one. With flat fees, efficiency benefits you — Ryan works as thoroughly as your situation requires, without any financial incentive to stretch the engagement. You pay for the outcome, not the process.
Every flat-fee plan is a coordinated system of documents — not a menu of separate items that may or may not work together. Your will or trust, powers of attorney, healthcare directive, and ancillary documents are drafted simultaneously, cross-referenced, and tested for consistency before delivery. The result is an estate plan that functions as a whole, not a collection of individually purchased documents.
Ryan's flat-fee plans are built around two tiers: a will-based plan for clients who want a straightforward foundational plan, and a trust-based plan for clients who want to avoid probate and maintain privacy. Both tiers include the complete document set needed for a legally sound, coordinated estate plan.
Includes: Last Will and Testament (with testamentary trust provisions for minor beneficiaries, guardian nomination, and self-proving affidavit) + Durable Financial Power of Attorney + Healthcare Power of Attorney + Living Will and Advance Directive + HIPAA Authorization. Drafted for NC, SC, or both, based on your situation. Complete signing handled via RON.
Everything in the Will-Based Plan, plus: Revocable Living Trust Agreement + Pour-Over Will (replacing the standalone will) + Certificate of Trust + Funding Instructions + Real Estate Deed Preparation (NC or SC primary residence transferred into the trust). Complete signing handled via RON. Financial account re-titling instructions provided.
Both packages are available for couples at a reduced combined rate — both spouses' complete document sets, coordinated as a married pair, with mirror provisions or separate terms as appropriate. Ryan handles joint signings in a single RON session.
Estate plans become outdated as life changes. Ryan offers an annual review service — a structured check-in to identify documents that need updating based on changes in your family, assets, or the law. Included in the first year with every new plan engagement; available as an ongoing service thereafter.
Most clients complete the entire engagement within 2–3 weeks from initial consultation to signed documents. Here is exactly what the process looks like.
A 30-minute call or video meeting to understand your family structure, assets, and goals. Ryan explains the options — will-based vs. trust-based, key decisions about agents and beneficiaries — and provides a flat-fee quote before any work begins. No commitment required.
After confirming the engagement, you complete a detailed intake questionnaire covering your assets, family members, desired beneficiaries, agent selections, and specific wishes. Most clients complete this in 20–30 minutes. The questionnaire is the primary input for your documents — the more specific your responses, the more precisely the documents reflect your intentions.
Ryan prepares your complete document set and delivers it for review, typically within 5–7 business days. Each document is accompanied by a plain-language summary explaining its purpose and key provisions. This is your opportunity to ask questions and request revisions — Ryan includes one round of substantive revisions in the flat fee.
Once you approve the documents, Ryan schedules a RON signing session — a video call with a commissioned notary. You, your witnesses (if needed), and the notary all join the call. Documents are signed electronically with permanent audio/video recording. NC RON is fully valid under Session Law 2022-54; SC RON is also authorized. The typical signing session takes 30–60 minutes.
For trust-based plans, Ryan provides a written funding checklist and prepares real estate deeds for your NC or SC property. Financial account re-titling instructions are provided in writing with account-specific guidance. Ryan coordinates with your financial institutions as needed to resolve questions about trust account titling.
Executed documents are delivered in digital form (encrypted PDF) and mailed in hard copy if preferred. Ryan provides a plan summary document explaining where original documents should be stored, who should receive copies, and what to do first if a triggering event (death or incapacity) occurs. The engagement is complete — but Ryan is available for questions as your circumstances evolve.
Estate planning in North Carolina and South Carolina involves well-defined document requirements — N.C.G.S. Chapters 29, 31, 32A, 32C, 36C, and 36F for NC; S.C. Code Title 62 for SC. The legal work involved in preparing a will, trust, or POA is largely predictable for a given client situation, making flat-fee pricing structurally appropriate.
The hourly billing model is often used for litigation, where work volume is genuinely unpredictable. Estate planning is transactional — Ryan knows from the intake questionnaire roughly how complex the engagement will be, and the flat fee reflects that assessment. Complex situations (blended families, business interests, multi-state property, charitable planning) are priced accordingly.
Many clients in the Charlotte metro, Mecklenburg County, Fort Mill, and Belmont areas have significant connections to both North Carolina and South Carolina — living in one state, working in another, or owning property in both. Ryan drafts estate plans that address both states' requirements in a single coordinated engagement.
NC and SC have adopted many of the same Uniform Law Commission acts (Uniform Trust Code, Uniform POA Act, Uniform Fiduciaries Act), making multi-state planning more straightforward than it was a generation ago. However, execution requirements differ — particularly for wills and healthcare directives — and Ryan ensures every document complies with the specific requirements of each relevant state.
Guardian designation, testamentary trusts for minor children, and coordinated POAs are the foundation. Flat-fee pricing makes comprehensive planning accessible even for families just starting out.
Unmarried partners have no default legal protections. A coordinated couples plan ensures both partners are protected, regardless of marital status. Joint flat-fee rates make this affordable.
Business interests add complexity to estate planning — succession, operational continuity, and business asset coordination with personal plans. Ryan's flat-fee quote reflects your situation's actual complexity.
Real estate owners — particularly those with property in both NC and SC — need trust-based plans with deed transfers. Flat-fee pricing includes deed preparation for primary residences.
A will from 2008 that predates the birth of your children, your divorce, or your move to NC is not an estate plan — it's a liability. Plan updates are available at flat-fee rates.
If the uncertainty of hourly billing has kept you from starting, the flat fee is the solution. You know the cost before you commit. No surprises. No ongoing meter running.
LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and similar services provide templates — not legal advice. They cannot identify issues specific to your family structure, advise on NC vs. SC execution requirements, coordinate beneficiary designations with your estate plan, or prepare state-specific real estate deeds. The cost difference between a $200 online template and a professionally prepared flat-fee plan is often less than one hour of probate litigation caused by a defective document.
A will from one attorney, a trust from another, and a POA from a legal forms website rarely work as a coordinated system. Cross-references are missing; trustee authority doesn't align with agent authority; beneficiary designations contradict trust terms. A coordinated flat-fee plan drafts all documents together, with built-in consistency.
A plan that requires an in-person office visit introduces friction that delays signing — sometimes indefinitely. Ryan's RON-based signing process removes that barrier. Documents are signed and notarized completely remotely, in a single scheduled video session. Ask your attorney about their signing process before engaging.
For trust-based plans, the estate plan is only complete when the trust is funded. A trust with no assets in it avoids no probate. Ryan provides a complete funding plan and tracks its completion — but clients must take action. Re-titling financial accounts and recording real estate deeds requires client follow-through.
An estate plan is not a one-time transaction. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a named agent or executor, a significant change in assets, or a move to a new state all require plan review. Ryan's annual review service provides a structured update process — ensuring your plan reflects your current life.
Transparency is the point of flat-fee pricing. Here is a detailed, honest breakdown of what each engagement covers and what may fall outside the flat fee.
The will-based plan is designed for families who want a complete estate plan without the complexity (or cost) of a revocable living trust. It includes every document needed for a legally complete plan under NC or SC law:
The trust-based plan includes everything in the will-based plan, plus:
Honesty about scope matters. The flat fee covers the document set and signing — not items that vary significantly across clients or require specialized expertise:
Trust amendments and codicils for clients with existing plans are available at separate flat-fee rates (typically lower than the original plan cost). Annual plan reviews are included for the first year and available on a flat-fee basis thereafter. Major plan restatements (essentially redoing the plan) are priced as new engagements.