WOW!! I hit the jackpot when I met John Varde. Thinking about my estate plan created one anxiety after another as I tried to take responsibility to provide for my loved ones. John is very knowledgeable and experienced, and presents the highest professional standards.

Working with John created a comfort level which enabled me to proceed in an intellectual manner to a satisfying conclusion. I am thrilled to have my Will and Trust in place to protect my future. I highly recommend John Varde to help you with your estate planning. Act now, before time escapes you. You need to be in charge of your future.

Despite one’s education, every one requires expert advice on any number of issues. Estate planning is simply another item where I have no expertise, so I rely on professionals to guide me. John Varde’s knowledge and demeanor makes this process comfortable without a hint of stress or alarm. He explains that we are making sound decisions in a timely manner.

One of the aspects of estate planning that we learned is that we can make changes and additions at any time. John educated us that there really is no finality when it comes to creating our plan. Our situation today is clearly different than when we first approached John. On each step along the way, making changes to our plans — according to our immediate situation — has been an easy (dare I say enjoyable) transition and process.

While I don’t look forward to my final days, I like the idea that I will be able to leave behind a legacy and material wealth to my loved ones and favorite charities. There are many ways to make estate plans, and John is adept and knowledgeable in terms of alerting us to the possibilities and also the tax ramifications.

There were many benefits to doing my estate plan:

• Estate planning needs to be done at some time, and it’s a comfort to know that I’ve done it. Taking that first step can be intimidating, but John helped me get through it.
• I am far more aware of tax laws and legislation having gone through the process.
• I have instructed my family of what to do when I die. I like to know they won’t have to guess where to find information or wonder how to proceed.

Having John Varde as a member of our professional team provides comfort, since I know that my family and I will receive the highest quality of advice and service.

But life has a way of changing your mind about things.  Six years after we married, we lost three loved ones in the same year.  Eventually, I felt I could finally cope with the idea of developing a will and an estate plan.

We knew that there were attorneys who specialized in estate planning and we found out about John Varde through a mutual friend.  We contacted him and set up an appointment.  But before going to see him, he gave us a lot of ideas to think about so we could come more prepared.

Our estates were complicated. Peter had children from a previous marriage; I wanted to provide for my elderly mother in case something happened to me.  Also, I was committed to the idea of leaving money to my favorite charitable organizations.

One of the things we liked the most about working with John Varde is that he is relaxed and casual and does not push anything on you (unlike a whole lot of lawyers we know).  In fact, our first session was basically a give-and-take, answering his questions, letting him know our needs. He spent most of that session listening to our ideas and concerns.  He seemed to grasp our issues quickly.

Before our second session, he presented us with draft documents that addressed all our issues.  We reviewed his drafts, asked questions, made a few minor changes and then met again to finalize everything. It was clear to us that John knows estate planning law coming and going, so that made it easier for us.  He helped us get through the murky waters of estate planning as easily as possible because of his expertise.

Now that we have estate plans in place, we feel more comfortable about traveling. In fact, Peter and I are relieved to have them completed.

If you want control over what happens to your assets after you are gone, then doing an estate plan is the only way to go. Because of our wonderful experience working with John Varde, we have been encouraging our friends to call him to do their estate planning.

My parents had their estate plans prepared and amended by John. When they passed away, our family was so grateful that John had been so extraordinarily thorough, detailed and professional. My Mom passed away first; three years later my Dad passed away. Thanks to John’s attention to detail, my brothers and I knew exactly what my father’s personal wishes were.

It was my responsibility to act as executor and trustee. John was available at all times to answer any questions that arose and very quickly I completed the tasks required. I was able to close down my father’s accounts and new accounts were created for my brothers and me.

At this sad time in one’s life, you want to be able to celebrate the life that has passed, not spend time with paperwork and problems. John’s outstanding work on their estates allowed my family to grieve together and removed any legal obstacles we could have encountered.

After my parents passed away, I knew I had to create my own estate plan, so I of course turned to John Varde. Because John was familiar with my family and what my expectations were, the estate planning process was quite simple. I trusted John and felt that he had my best interests at heart. As my life has changed, we have revised portions of my estate plan per my wishes.

I recommend and encourage you to work with John Varde. He is completely trustworthy and accurate. I know my heirs and executor will not encounter any problems when the time comes. Working with John gives me and my family peace of mind.

It was a combination of circumstances, the death of a parent and a subsequent inheritance, children who married, grandchildren joining our family, and a letter from John elaborating on the changes to existing tax laws that made us realize that we had put this off too long. We quickly contacted John about our estate planning. We were glad that we did, wondering to ourselves what took us so long.

Our conversations with John spoke to his command of the area. As we peppered him with questions, his experience came quickly to the fore. He was quick to point out how changes in our estates created new challenges and opportunities for us. We liked the way that he listened, understood, and honored our goals. The result was a plan that allowed us to rest assured that our estate would be passed on in a manner that would steer clear of situations that would make life miserable for our heirs and reflected the most recent state and federal changes.

If you are looking for a professional to assist you in your estate planning, with a knowledge of the law, experience, empathy, and who will not shy away from asking the hard questions, John Varde is your man.

We recommend John without reservation.