Marguerite Regier
Founding partner · wills, trusts and probate
Marguerite writes most of the firm's wills and trusts, and she still reads every plan aloud before it's signed.
Estate and elder law in Wichita
Write it down, so the people you love never have to guess
Every family has a recipe nobody wrote down. Your plans shouldn't be one of them. Start with the question that's on your mind, and we'll show you what comes first.
What we write down with you
Four things worth putting on paper
Most families need one or two of these, not all four. After the first meeting we'll tell you which, and what each costs.
Wills and trusts
Who gets the house, the savings and the things that matter, and who looks after the children.
About wills and trustsPowers of attorney and guardianship
Someone you trust to pay the bills and talk to the doctors if you can't, chosen while you still can.
About powers of attorneyProbate
When a parent has died and the house, the accounts and the court forms land on you.
About probateMedicaid and long-term care
Paying for a nursing home or in-home care without spending a spouse into hardship.
About Medicaid planning
Asked at the kitchen table
What families ask us before anything else
If yours isn't here, call and ask it. There's no charge for a question on the phone.
We already have a will from years ago. Is it still good?
It may be. A will doesn't expire, but the people in it and the things it covers change. If someone you named has died or moved away, if you've sold the house it talks about, or if you've had grandchildren since, bring it in and we'll read it with you. Sometimes a short update is all it needs.
Do we really need a trust, or is a will enough?
Plenty of families are well served by a will. A trust earns its place when you want to keep the house out of probate, leave money to someone who shouldn't get it all at once, or own land in more than one state. We'll tell you plainly which one fits.
Mom is starting to forget things. Is it too late for her to sign?
Often it isn't. What matters is whether she understands what she's signing on the day she signs it. We meet with her ourselves, usually without the family in the room for part of it, and if she can't sign we'll explain guardianship instead.
What does a first meeting cost?
We tell you before you book. Most plans are quoted as one flat fee in writing after the first meeting, so you know the whole cost before any document is drafted.
Can you come to us?
Yes. Levi and Marguerite visit homes, hospitals and care homes around Wichita when getting to our office on Douglas is hard.
The keepsake binder
Handed down in one place, in your own words
A plan only helps if your family can find it and follow it. So every plan we write goes home in one binder.
Inside are your signed originals, in the order your family will need them. With them is a short letter you write with us, in your own words, saying what you wanted and why. Families tell us the letter is the page they read first.
What's in it
Your signed originals, in order
A one-page letter to your family
Where the deed, the accounts and the policies are
Who to call first, and our number
Around our table
Three lawyers at one table
A small firm on purpose: the lawyer who meets you writes your plan, and answers the phone when your family calls later.
Levi Achterberg
Partner · elder law and Medicaid planning
Levi handles powers of attorney, guardianship and nursing-home planning, and he makes most of the care-home visits.
Delia Unruh
Associate · probate and estate settlement
Delia walks executors through probate from the first court filing to the last check, usually by phone and email.
Passed along
From families who opened the binder
“When Dad went into hospice we didn't have to look for anything. The binder was in his desk, with a letter on top. I read it in the parking lot and cried, and then I knew what to do.”
Joanna P.Daughter and executor, Andover
“We'd put off a will for eleven years. Marguerite asked us three questions about the kids at our first meeting and we had our answer before the coffee was gone.”
Ray and Lucinda T.Parents of three, College Hill
“Levi came out to Mom's care home twice so she could sign with us in the room. He spoke to her, not to us, and she liked him for it.”
Curtis H.Son, Derby
Shared with each family's permission. Every family's situation is different, and what we did for one says nothing certain about what we can do for yours.
Pull up a chair
The first meeting is an hour at our table on East Douglas, or at yours if getting out is hard. Bring your questions and whatever papers you have. There's nothing to prepare.