Estate Planning Service Packages: Good-Better-Best Pricing

Why Package Your Estate Planning Services?

Moving from hourly rates or flat fees for individual documents to comprehensive estate planning packages offers significant advantages for both your firm and your clients:

• Client Clarity & Confidence: Packages simplify complex offerings into understandable choices, reducing client anxiety about unpredictable hourly costs.
• Increased Average Client Value: Clients often choose a higher-tier package when options are clearly presented, increasing revenue per engagement.
• Better Scope Management: Defined packages make it easier to manage client expectations and avoid scope creep, as the included services are specified.
• Value-Based Pricing: Packaging allows you to price based on the value and peace of mind delivered, not just the time spent, which is particularly crucial in sensitive areas like estate planning.
• Streamlined Consultations: Presenting packages allows you to focus discovery on determining the appropriate package for a client’s needs, rather than itemizing every potential task.

Designing Your Good-Better-Best Estate Planning Tiers

A Good-Better-Best (or Bronze-Silver-Gold, Essential-Standard-Comprehensive) structure provides clients with clear options catering to different levels of complexity and need. Here’s a typical breakdown for estate planning services:

1. The ‘Good’ Package (Essential/Basic):

• Targets individuals or couples with relatively simple asset structures and straightforward wishes.
• Focuses on core foundational documents.
• Example Components: Last Will & Testament, Durable Power of Attorney, Advance Healthcare Directive (Living Will). May include basic beneficiary designation review.

2. The ‘Better’ Package (Standard/Most Popular):

• Designed for clients with more complex needs, perhaps wishing to avoid probate or include minor children provisions.
• This is often positioned as the ‘recommended’ or ‘most popular’ option using pricing psychology.
• Example Components: Includes everything in ‘Good’ plus a Revocable Living Trust, Pour-Over Wills, Certificate of Trust, basic deed transfers for funding the trust (e.g., primary residence), and potentially some guidance on beneficiary designations.

3. The ‘Best’ Package (Comprehensive/Advanced):

• For clients with complex assets (businesses, multiple properties), charitable goals, blended families, or significant tax planning needs.
• Offers a higher level of complexity and customization.
• Example Components: Includes everything in ‘Better’ plus advanced trusts (e.g., Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts - ILIT, Qualified Personal Residence Trusts - QPRT), complex business succession planning, detailed asset funding assistance, charitable giving strategies, and potentially guardianships for minors or special needs planning.

Pricing Your Estate Planning Packages Effectively

Pricing packages shouldn’t just be guesswork or based solely on your costs. Aim for value-based pricing that reflects the immense peace of mind, asset protection, and future security your expertise provides. Consider:

• Your Costs: Include not just your time but overhead, software, insurance, continued education, and staff costs.
• Market Value: Research what similar reputable firms in your area charge for comparable scope, but don’t just compete on price.
• Perceived Value: What is the client avoiding (probate costs, family disputes, estate taxes, delays) by having a solid plan? Price reflects this.
• Psychological Anchoring: The price of your ‘Best’ package makes the ‘Better’ package look more reasonable and attractive.

Example Pricing Ranges (Illustrative - your market and expertise will vary):

• Good: $2,500 - $5,000
• Better: $5,000 - $15,000 (often the sweet spot)
• Best: $15,000 - $50,000+ (depending on complexity)

Clearly define what’s included and, importantly, what’s not included in each package to manage expectations and identify potential add-on services.

Presenting Your Estate Planning Packages to Clients

How you present your packages significantly impacts client understanding and conversion. Avoid simply listing documents and prices in a static document.

• Focus on Benefits: Frame each package not just by the documents provided, but by the peace of mind, level of protection, and specific goals it helps the client achieve.
• Visual Clarity: Use clear, easy-to-read visuals to compare packages side-by-side. Highlight the key differences and the added value at each tier.
• Interactive Experience: Allowing clients to interact with options can greatly improve understanding. Tools that let clients select a base package and explore add-ons transparently build confidence.

This is where platforms designed for interactive pricing shine. For example, PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) is a SaaS tool specifically built to create shareable, configurable pricing experiences. It allows you to present your estate planning packages with clear add-on options, letting clients see how their choices affect the price in real-time. It’s focused solely on making the pricing selection process modern and intuitive.

While PricingLink excels at the interactive pricing display, it’s important to note it does not handle the full proposal with e-signatures, contracts, or project management. If you need an all-in-one solution for proposals including e-signatures and client management, consider platforms like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com), Proposify (https://www.proposify.com), or legal practice management software like Clio (https://www.clio.com).

However, if your primary goal is to modernize how clients interact with and select your pricing options for your estate planning packages, PricingLink’s dedicated focus offers a powerful and affordable solution for this specific phase of the client journey.

Handling Add-ons and Customization

Even with tiered packages, some clients will have unique needs or require services outside the standard offerings. Have a clear list of available add-on services (e.g., extensive asset funding assistance beyond the package, separate trust creation, specific tax planning consultations, business formation documents) and their pricing.

Present these add-ons clearly alongside your packages. Interactive pricing tools like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) are particularly effective here, allowing clients to select a base package and easily add optional services, instantly seeing the updated total. This transparency minimizes surprises and facilitates upsells.

Implementing Package Pricing in Your Firm

Transitioning to package pricing requires thoughtful implementation:

1. Refine Your Discovery Process: Your initial client consultation is critical for determining which package best fits their needs and complexity level. Develop structured questions to guide this.
2. Update Your Engagement Agreements: Ensure your contracts clearly reference the chosen package and list the specific services included.
3. Standardize Workflows: Develop internal checklists and processes for delivering each package consistently and efficiently.
4. Train Your Team: Ensure all staff members understand the packages, can explain their value, and know how to discuss pricing confidently.