Estate Planning as a Team Approach

Dear Friends,

As I reflect on the last 15 years of Eckert Byrne LLC, I was able to create a firm that understands that estate planning is not just about preserving wealth—it’s about leaving a lasting legacy and ensuring that your values endure for generations to come. We help clients with estate planning, maintaining their plan, and guiding loved ones through estate administration. Due to the growth of our client base and the services we offer, I cannot do it alone and developed a team approach to guide clients every step of the way.

For many of you who worked directly with me in the early years, this is a change. While I love meeting with past clients, staying in touch, and seeing how your families have grown over the years, please note that I rarely attend process meetings now, and that the Eckert Byrne team leads are your primary points of contact for the firm. Because of my commitment to offering a comprehensive and compassionate approach to estate planning, we continue to focus on building strong relationships with our clients to understand their goals fully and provide tailored solutions through our unique process that evolves with their needs and changing laws. I wanted to introduce you to Nicole Simon Esq. and Eileen Curtin, Esq.

Nicole Simon – Lead Attorney for Estate Planning and Client Maintenance programs.

  • Estate Planning – Nicole focuses on developing strong relationships with clients to understand their goals thoroughly. Through meticulous planning, Nicole ensures that each client’s estate plan is structured to reflect their wishes accurately. With a keen eye on the ever-changing legal landscape, she provides insights into recent laws and tax changes, empowering clients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.
  • Client Maintenance – Nicole oversees our Annual Maintenance Program, Funding Assistance, Legal Check-Up, and Family Legacy Meetings. Recognizing that life brings changes, Nicole emphasizes the importance of regularly revisiting and updating estate plans to align with evolving legacy goals and legal landscapes.

Eileen Curtin – Lead Attorney for Estate and Trust Administration and Disability Administration.

  • Estate & Trust Administration – Eileen Curtin brings compassion and expertise to her role, guiding clients through the often challenging process of estate and trust administration. Whether clients are navigating the complexities of settling an estate or assuming new roles as fiduciaries, Eileen provides support and clarity through every step of the administration process.
  • Disability Administration – Eileen also assists fiduciaries named in estate planning documents, helping them navigate their new roles with confidence and clarity. Whether serving as an Agent under a Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy,  successor Trustee or a Disability Panel member, Eileen ensures that fiduciaries understand their legal responsibilities and obligations.

As for me, I continue to serve as a strategist to clients and my team. I am responsible for all the cases in the firm, but not as the lead attorney in meetings. My role has grown to teaching, counseling, mentoring, and strategizing ways for our team to create the best outcomes for you. I directly review client documents, discuss tactics and strategies with the team for your specific case, and develop systems and process, and manage the daily aspects of keeping the firm growing and strong.  I continue to empower clients to express their values and goals and pass on their legacies through my books, A Widow’s Guide and The Inheritor’s Guide, and through presentations to the public.

While I will not be in all the meetings you have with our team, if you know and understand our approach, you can be comfortable in referring your family and friends who are looking for an empathetic and law firm to help them when they need an experienced and trusted advisor for their life and legacy planning.

Please reach out if you have any questions or think we can help you.

Sincerely,

Anna