START YOUR ESTATE PLAN TODAY! Book Peace of Mind Planning Session
Helping Your Family Plan For The Future
We make Estate Planning simple and convenient for you to get the peace of mind you deserve.
Refreshingly uncomplicated
We believe that working with an attorney should not be intimidating or overly formal. Our process is simple and convenient. Getting started is done virtually over Zoom. Final documents are signed and notarized in our Westerville office space.
We treat you like family
When you work with us, you’re not just another client; you’re part of our extended family. No matter the
situation, we are always focused on meeting your needs with care, compassion, and clarity.
Peace of mind matters
We specialize in providing peace of mind. Our approach is centered on educating and empowering you toward thoughtful, long-term planning that helps you worry less and live more.
Are you living your best life or worrying about the future?
We know you want to be prepared and organized for your family if something happens to you.
We understand the stress of facing the big “what-ifs” in life because we’ve been there too. We aim to eliminate the over whelm you feel by making estate planning simple and convenient.
Halterman Law is not your typical law firm; our approach is to treat you like family. We pride ourselves on our ability to listen with compassion and empathy. Our mission is to educate and empower you to develop a tailored plan so you have peace of mind and worry less.
Our 3-Step Process:
1
We listen to you
Come in for your first meeting, chat with the attorney about your goals and needs, then talk about the difference between a Will and a Trust and what might work for you.
2
We build a plan together
We’ll create a custom plan for you and your loved ones and keep you in the l oop every step of the way.
3
Relax and enjoy
We’ll put your plan into action so you can walk away feeling confident and at peace.
Hey there, I'm Sinem – your not-so-typical lawyer!
Complicated legal jargon and fear tactics? Nope, not my thing. Empowering families like yours create a rock-solid plan so you can worry less? Absolutely my thing. I’m not just here to hand you a stack of documents. I’m here to provide you with exceptional legal services that focus on care, compassion, and clarity
I’m a proud mama of two amazing boys, a loving wife, a devoted daughter, and a proud aunt. I know firsthand how worrying about life’s unexpected twists can keep you up at night. But, it doesn’t have to be that way: I’m here to turn those worries into a solid plan so you get the peace of mind you deserve.
At my firm, we believe that working with an attorney should not be intimidating or overly formal. Education and simplicity is our goal. I will guide you as we create a custom plan that best suits your family’s unique needs, making sure you understand every step of the process.
Let’s chat, let’s plan, and let’s make sure your loved ones are taken care of. Together, we’ll pave the way for your best life, ensuring you can live with peace of mind and worry less.
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Frequently Asked Questions
To put it simply, estate planning is the process of getting legal documents in place so you can choose who you would like to take care of you, your children, and your assets in the event of your death or incapacity. An “estate plan” is the collection of all of the documents needed to accomplish your wishes.
If you currently do not have a will or trust, you may think that you do not have an estate plan. However, you do! The state of Ohio has written one out for you. All states have a default plan in the event of your incapacity or death. Estate planning is you “opting out” of this plan and documenting your goals and wishes.
Attorney Sinem Halterman’s estate planning practice focuses on helping individuals and families make important decisions today to avoid unnecessary pain and conflict tomorrow. She understands how complicated the estate planning process can be and guides her clients to ensure that their loved ones are taken care of, and their final wishes are carried out.
Sinem received her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University. She graduated law school from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and was honored with the Order of Barristers award for demonstrating exceptional skills in trial advocacy, oral advocacy, and brief writing. Following law school, Sinem was admitted to practice law in Ohio in 2011.
Throughout her 12 years of combined experience in the legal and financial services industries, Sinem’s passion has always been helping people. In 2021, Sinem was awarded the Patriotic Employer Award by the Department of Defense for supporting a Service member during deployment. In her spare time, Sinem enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and aspiring to be as good a cook as Ina Garten.
We have an easy, 3-step process designed to have your trust and other estate planning documents created and signed in 2-4 weeks:
1. First, attend your Peace of Mind Planning Session. You’ll fill out a secure online questionnaire (“Family Profile”) before we meet so we can make the best use of our time together. At this Zoom session, we will discuss your goals and needs for your future in depth so we have a clear understanding of what it is you need. In this Zoom meeting, I will map out your options, including a Will versus a Trust. This will enable you to make an educated and well-informed decision on what you believe is best for your family.
2. Next, attend the Estate Plan Design Meeting. Here, we will design your trust and other estate planning documents, working off the information you provided in your Family Profile. After this session, I’ll draft your documents, and send a copy for your review about two weeks later. We’ll then make any changes or updates you’d like to make. When everything is good to go, we’ll coordinate an in-person Signing Ceremony.
3. Your Signing Ceremony is where you’ll sign your documents with the proper legal formalities, in front of two witnesses and a notary. We can have this session at our office or your home. Following execution of the documents, we are available for free, unlimited lifetime consultations regarding your estate plan.
An attorney who listens without interrupting and makes sure you fully understand your options before making any decisions! I wouldn’t be doing my job as an attorney otherwise. It’s very important to me that you feel heard and have your questions answered. We’ll also review our process, flat fees, and overall client experience so you know exactly what you are getting and what the investment will be.
When you are ready to move forward please contact us. We will send you an Engagement Letter via DocuSign and an invoice through a secure online payment provider. We will then schedule your Estate Plan Design Meeting where will design your estate plan and discuss your goals.
Let me start by saying what we do NOT need! We do NOT need account statements, social security numbers, or tax returns. We DO need information on what kind of assets you own (house, retirement account, life insurance, etc.), their relative value, and how they are titled (jointly, individually, etc.) Beyond that, we simply need answers to questions about your personal estate planning preferences, including:
* Who you would want raising your minor children if something happened to you and your spouse or partner
* Who you want to be in charge of your children’s money until they are old enough to mange it themselves
* Who you want making medical and financial decisions for you in the event of your incapacity
Don’t worry if you don’t have the answers to these questions right away! You’ll have plenty of time to think things over throughout the process.
No. Wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents need to be signed with very specific formalities or they will not be considered legally valid. That means signing in person, in front of 2 witnesses and a notary (which we provide). The witnesses are there to confirm you are lucid and not under duress, and the notary is there to confirm you are who you say you are. Any changes you make to your documents in the future will need to be executed with the same legal formalities.
The simple answer is no! Estate planning is not correlated to how much money you have, your marital status, or whether or not you are a parent. Estate planning is putting together legal documents to ensure your documents will go to the people you want, the way you want in the event of your death. Estate planning is also about appointing people to manage your assets and make health care decisions for you if you are to become incapacitated. The estate plan will assist your loved ones during a difficult time, regardless of the amount of money you have.
It depends! Estate planning is not one size fits all, so it’s hard for us to give you a quote without knowing more about you. Even if you believe your situation is relatively simple, there are likely nuances you are not considering. We discuss our fees and process at length in the Peace of Mind Planning Session, after we have counseled you on all your options. We do not discuss our fees outside the Peace of Mind Planning Session.
We understand that cost is an important factor in choosing an attorney, and that estate planning is a significant investment for many. It is our goal to be as transparent and fair as possible. For that reason, we offer flat fees as opposed to billing by the hour, so you know exactly what your investment will be. We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not happy with our services, we will make it right, or refund your money.
Finally, we will only recommend planning with us if the amount you would save by doing an estate plan is greater than our fee.
The simple answer is no! Estate planning is not correlated to how much money you have, your marital status, or whether or not you are a parent. Estate planning is putting together legal documents to ensure your documents will go to the people you want, the way you want in the event of your death. Estate planning is also about appointing people to manage your assets and make health care decisions for you if you are to become incapacitated. The estate plan will assist your loved ones during a difficult time, regardless of the amount of money you have.
A power of attorney lets you appoint someone to manage your property in the event of your incapacity. You will name someone you trust implicitly as your “agent”. They will step into your shoes and pay your bills, file your taxes, manage your business, etc. if you cannot.
We include a power of attorney for both spouses in every estate plan we create.
A health care proxy allows you to appoint someone you trust to manage your medical decisions should you be unable to do so. A living will (not to be confused with a living trust or last will and testament) allows you to make certain medical decisions regarding end-of-life decisions, ahead of time.
We include a health care proxy and living will for both spouses in every estate plan we create.
Not a problem! Your documents can, and most likely will, be updated throughout your life, as your life, assets, and the law change.
Yes, you can. However, keep in mind that Legal Zoom is not a law firm. That is why there is a difference in cost. Legal Zoom offers you forms so that you can execute them yourself. They are not a law firm, and they do not give legal advice. Whereas, an attorney counsels you and gives you legal advice based on your specific circumstances. An attorney will customize your documents, ensure that they are signed with the proper formalities necessary, and communicate with you for any questions. If this is important to you, you should work with an attorney, and if not then Legal Zoom may fit your needs.
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