Client Disqualification Questions

At AdvisorsEP, we recognize that not every estate plan should go through our system. We estimate that approximately 75-80% of estate plans are a great fit. As a result, we encourage you to maintain your local estate planning attorney relationships.

We have several disqualification questions at the beginning of the estate planning process. If you are unsure if a client is disqualified, you can contact AEP to help make that determination. You have heard us say this in the past, but we will say it again here – “When in doubt, refer it out!”

Our software provider is equipped to handle most of the situations below, but the estate plans below are deemed to have a higher risk for the client, the financial professional, AEP and EncorEstate Plans, our software provider – therefore, we will not do them.

Here are the situations where you should NOT attempt to put your client through AEP:

The Disqualification Questions Determine:

1. If your client is worth anywhere near the federal estate tax exemption amount ($13.61M per person in 2024).

2. If your client is disinheriting a child.

3. If there is a history of family litigation in the trust and estates arena with that client or their family.

4. If the client intends to give gifts to a non-family member who provides consistent care for that client.