Consultation
Let’s see if this is the next best step for you. Seriously, even my free consultation calls get good reviews…
What to expect…
What happens on the initial consult?
The initial phone consult is meant to ensure we’ll be a good fit to work together.
My work with clients can span anywhere from 30 days to 6 months (ranging from $500 - $7500 depending on the program) and since we’ll be talking about money & life, best to do it with someone whose company you enjoy :)
So we block out 45 minutes to chat, but that doesn't mean we'll need all that time to figure it out.
I think I’m pretty fun to work with (and my clients would agree) but I’ll want you to believe that, too, given the amount of time we’re going to spend together and the things we’ll be discussing.
Who wants to talk about money if you’re not comfortable?
I also want to make sure that the things we’ll be working on are the things you really need help with: cash flow issues, making transition plans, paying down debt (student loans and everything else), and prioritizing long term goals. I won’t help you come up with a risky investment strategy or evade your taxes, so if that’s what you’re looking for I won’t be a good fit.
Finally, if there’s anything we need to tweak about how we’ll be working together (e.g., your partner won’t come to every session, but they’ll get involved when we do cash management) then we go over that on the initial consult.
Please note that if (based on your intake questionnaire responses) I do not believe we would be a good fit, I may save us both the time and cancel the call. But I’ll be sure to send resources your way, too.
Do you work with couples or just individuals?
I have many couples clients…and though I mostly work with both partners simultaneously (especially if they share finances), sometimes I work with just one partner in that couple if they keep their money separate. Determining the best way to work together is something we cover on the initial phone consult so don’t worry if you’re not sure.
There’s also something very special about the work I do with couples. Oftentimes, my couples clients are NOT both lawyers, so there’s already a bit of a disconnect between how they see the world.
Somebody may be prone to worst case scenario thinking (uh, guilty as charged!) while somebody else may be naturally optimistic and willing to take some chances.
One of them may have grown up in a home that valued saving and frugality while the other may have grown up feeling like money had to be spent before it disappeared.
Bridging the divide between differing perspectives is difficult from the inside.
(As a lawyer turned Accredited Financial Counselor who’s also now married, I understand this difficulty!)
But when there’s an objective party in the room, everything changes.
Each partner is able to share how they’d like things to work, what’s most important to them, and why.
We then get to find the commonalities, the places of agreement, and what’s actually already working for them.
And when that third party can also break down their entire financial situation in plain language, then everyone gets on the same page about how best to move forward.
It’s amazing how you start to see the world when you’re facing the same direction.
What do I expect from my clients?
My clients are investing time, energy, and money into bettering their financial situation. My prep work alone is one of the most beneficial exercises they complete, and that’s before we even sit down together. But it also takes work and I need my folks to understand that.
I’m going to be crunching numbers for you and I promise I’m not going to make you learn all the intricacies of every personal finance strategy, but I am going to ask you to think about what’s important to you and then put your money toward those things.
And I’m going to teach you how to manage your money in a way that finally gives you clarity and control over what’s going on, the power to change course midstream as needed, and the wisdom to know whether that’s a good idea or not.
To get all of that, you’re going to have to put in some work.
But if you get the systems up and running, it’s work you’ll never have to repeat…unless you want to make another big transition, of course. And then you’ll know how to do it yourself!