Covid-19: We Are Fully Open for Business with Safety Modifications

March 24, 2020

LAST UPDATED: June 10, 2021

We are happy to report that as restrictions due to Covid-19 continue to be relaxed by government and health officials, Wokwicz Law Offices, LLC, has returned to holding in-person client meetings, while continuing to follow a regimen of safety measures as detailed below. We continue to offer virtual and phone call meetings where preferred. We plan to continue to follow these safety procedures until it becomes clear that the risk of virus

We apologize in advance for any inconveniences that these procedures may present. Rest assured that these changes to our routines are to keep the community and our clients as safe as possible.

Our experience over the past 15 months has been enlightening. Through the use of phone calls or video conferencing, and emailing or mailing drafts of documents to clients prior to a phone call or video conference document review, we have learned that we can provide superior legal estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. and probateThe court process proving the validity of a Will and conducting the orderly Inventory, Accounting, and Administration of a decedent’s assets under a Will or under Intestacy laws if there is no Will. The probate process in Wisconsin typically takes between six to twelve months in Wisconsin and can take longer in some cases. Probate can be avoided by proper Estate Planning and through the use of beneficiary designations, Transfer on Death Deeds, Marital Property Agreements and Trusts. services to the Kenosha and Racine area, while still keeping everyone safe. Many of our clients have preferred the ability to discuss their legal needs with an attorney from the comfort of their own homes. We have found that phone calls or Zoom video conferencing have been very effective both for initial and document review meetings.

Procedure Modifications During Covid-19

We want to serve our clients while also keeping our community and clients safe. We know that estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. is always important and even more so during these trying times. We continue to provide estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity., trustThe arrangement creating the legal ownership of assets by a trustee for the benefit of the Settlor and/or other beneficiaries. administrationA process during which the deceased persons assets pay debts, claims and funeral expenses and the remaining estate funds are then distributed according to the wishes of the deceased person set forth in the Will or Trust. The Administrator is in charge of the process and must follow what is set forth in the Will or Trust. If there is no Will or Trust, the distributions and payments are made according to the law of the applicable state and is called intestate succession., and probateThe court process proving the validity of a Will and conducting the orderly Inventory, Accounting, and Administration of a decedent’s assets under a Will or under Intestacy laws if there is no Will. The probate process in Wisconsin typically takes between six to twelve months in Wisconsin and can take longer in some cases. Probate can be avoided by proper Estate Planning and through the use of beneficiary designations, Transfer on Death Deeds, Marital Property Agreements and Trusts. services, while mitigating the potential for exposure and infection. Therefore, we have in place a number of procedures to continue to serve our clients’ needs in as safe a manner as possible.

Please Call for Your Estate Planning Needs

As we are accepting phone call and video conference appointments, we can begin the estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. process without an in-person meeting, or with an in-person meeting where preferred. Please call our office – 262-658-2181 – for your estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity., trustThe arrangement creating the legal ownership of assets by a trustee for the benefit of the Settlor and/or other beneficiaries., last will and testamentSee Will., power of attorneys, probateThe court process proving the validity of a Will and conducting the orderly Inventory, Accounting, and Administration of a decedent’s assets under a Will or under Intestacy laws if there is no Will. The probate process in Wisconsin typically takes between six to twelve months in Wisconsin and can take longer in some cases. Probate can be avoided by proper Estate Planning and through the use of beneficiary designations, Transfer on Death Deeds, Marital Property Agreements and Trusts. and trustThe arrangement creating the legal ownership of assets by a trustee for the benefit of the Settlor and/or other beneficiaries. administrationA process during which the deceased persons assets pay debts, claims and funeral expenses and the remaining estate funds are then distributed according to the wishes of the deceased person set forth in the Will or Trust. The Administrator is in charge of the process and must follow what is set forth in the Will or Trust. If there is no Will or Trust, the distributions and payments are made according to the law of the applicable state and is called intestate succession. needs.  We have found that phone call meetings or Zoom meetings have been very effective and have allowed us to continue to provide the highest quality legal services to our clients.

As we often share with our clients, estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. is a process. We can start that process now through telephone and video conferencing meetings, review documents by way of phone and video meetings, and as needed we can provide in-person meetings and in person client document signing meetings. It is still necessary to have an in-person signing meeting for estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. documents, after drafts have been prepared and reviewed. Wisconsin law still requires that estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. documents such as trusts, wills, and power of attorneys be notarized and witnessed in person. However, we have modified our procedures to make the signing process as safe as possible. We willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. discuss our signing meeting procedures further as we talk about and work on your estate plan or other documents. If preferred, we can sign documents at an in-person, socially distanced signing meeting.

By Appointment

We ask that when dropping off documents at our office, that you call us in advance to arrange  leaving documents in our mailbox in the lobby of our building or to arrange for hand delivery.

First Meetings and Information Gathering

We now can conduct non-signing meetings in person or by way of telephone or video conferencing using Zoom. We willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. therefore work with our clients and prospective clients to conduct first meetings remotely via telephone or video conferencing, or in person as preferred by our client.

Prior to our first meeting, we can obtain necessary documents from you via mail, email, or drop off, depending upon the clients’ comfort level and the information that we need.

We have found that this process has worked well for our clients and many prefer to discuss their estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. needs and review estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. drafts from the comfort of their homes. In fact, this process has worked so well, that we plan to continue to offer it going forward.

Signing Meetings

Certain estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. documents require notaries or witnesses and cannot be competed remotely under Wisconsin law. Certain rules relaxing in-person notary laws do not apply to Wisconsin estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. documents such as trusts, durable power of attorneys, and other documents. Last Wills and Testaments must be witnessed, in person by two witnesses under Wisconsin law and cannot be witnessed remotely. Therefore, signing meetings still need to be in-person. That said, we offer socially distanced signing meetings, where preferred.

After we have reviewed your documents via a phone, video, or in person meeting, the in-person signing meeting willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. need to take place. Signing meetings, although in-person, are socially distanced and with the sole purpose of signing original documents. Since we willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. have already provided our clients with document drafts and since we have already reviewed documents with our client, in advance of the signing meeting, the signing meeting can be a relatively short meeting.

Maintaining Best Practices for Signing Meetings

We have always required that we meet alone with the client when signing estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. documents. This is a best practice and a requirement that we always follow. By rigorously following this practice, as estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. attorneys, we can always attest that we met alone with the client – and that the client was not pressured or unduly influenced when signing documents such as trusts, wills, or power of attorneySee Power of Attorney for Health Care, Financial Power of Attorney, and Durable Power of Attorney. documents.

We’ve been practicing law a long time. Our Founder, Paul F. Wokwicz, was an attorney for over 60 years. His son, and our Lead Attorney and Owner, Paul B. Wokwicz, has practiced law for over 27 years. Over these combined 87+ years of practicing law, we have always been able to testify that a client was alone with us, and able to freely converse with us without any other people around during each and every estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. signing meeting. This is a crucial rule that we cannot bend and willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. continue to follow.

Our Estate Planning Services Continue with More Meeting Options

We willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. do our best to keep our clients, employees, and community safe. We willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. take actions necessary to help protect everyone involved in the estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. process. At this time, we are happy to again have in-person meetings, but we willA written document that sets forth and names the personal representative who will be in charge of overseeing the probate process and names the specific bequest and residual beneficiaries of property who are to receive and inherit assets and property through probate. A Will does not avoid probate, and must be properly drafted and executed to be legal. A Will can also avoid the use of a surety bond in many instances and can help utilize an “informal” Wisconsin probate process if it has the proper clauses and attestation clause. continue to also offer phone and video conference estate planningPlanning in advance of disability, incapacity, or death to make sure that key life issues have been addressed while the person is still of sound mind and able to understand and sign key documents such as Power of Attorneys, Power of Attorneys for Health Care, Wills, and Trusts to form a strategy and provide for the administration and disposition of his or her assets upon death or upon incapacity. meetings for non-document signing meetings.