Your Cowles Complete™ system takes the estate planning and postmortem practice to the next level, and all with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Cowles Forum Membership is included with the annual system subscription and includes the following benefits:

Use of Software
Create comprehensive custom estate plans with maximum efficiency AND outstanding personal client service. This is truly a win-win result with satisfied, impressed, happy clients, fulfilled and productive office staff, and excellent attorney income and client satisfaction. This system includes modules for revocable trusts, wills, and irrevocable life insurance trusts, supplemental needs trusts, and trust terminations. Funding letters and documents are generated, as well as state-specific supporting documents - all integrated so data is entered only once. Easy to complete checklists facilitate drafting of comprehensive, custom plans during the initial appointment, and streamlined termination of trusts upon the grantor's death. Systems facilitate efficient delegation of data entry to staff.

*Cowles Complete includes unlimited use of software on three workstations.

Estate Organizer™ Binders
An individual and a joint binder are included, with contents describing documents, discussing the funding process, answering frequently asked questions, and much more. Additional binders are available through our online store with beneficial discounts applicable to Forum members.

Personal Tour Through Asset Transfers Video™
Provide your clients with time to review their estate plan while they relax and listen to this 30 minute DVD assuring that all necessary details are covered minimizing liability. A perfect match when used with the Estate Organizer Binder.

Audio CD - Completing the Trust Plus Checklist
Use this CD as a resource to quickly become proficient in using the drafting checklist. Listen to the audio to become familiar with phrase options while completing a plan.

Client Booklets
Promote informational booklets for your clients including Your Practical Guide to Estate Planning and A Guide for Administering the Revocable Living Trust - What Every Trustee Should Know. Place booklets in your reception area, use as seminar handouts, or distribute them as referral sources to potential or existing clients. Additional booklets are available at our online store.

Tutorial CD
Audio-video tutorials on each aspect of the system make it easy to train yourself and/or your staff to utilize all aspects of the system - and to fully and quickly implement it for immediate return on investment.

Member Listserve
Communicate with other Cowles Forum Members on practically any subject from substantive legal issues to practice techniques, and receive referrals from other Cowles Forum members. The Member Listserve is also a great way for Cowles Legal Systems to immediately notify Forum members of legal developments affecting estate planning and postmortem practice, to provide links for immediate software upgrades and to inform clients of changes. It’s easy to search the Member Listserve archive for immediate access to your search topic.

Technical Support (via toll free telephone or email)
Contact our team for answers to your questions 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time or 24 hours a day by emailing customercare@cowleslegal.com.

Continuous Legal and Technical Update and Enhancement of Systems
Systems are updated continuously as legislative and technical developments occur, with immediate updates available via Internet. Additionally, client educational materials are kept current and are downloadable via Internet, and the listserve is used to inform Forum members of developments affecting the estate planning area.

Cowles Customizer™
Insert additional documents with drop down menus - insert merge codes to format documents and edit and overwrite any of our standard phrases. Generate documents of your choice and include your preferred language!

Members' Only Area Access (at www.cowleslegal.com)

Practice Building Tools: Information at your fingertips on establishing goals, fee agreements, marketing plans, marketing materials and seminars.
  • Fee Agreements
  • Cash Flow and Calendaring Forms and Techniques
  • Client Handouts on Fees and Services
  • Income Forecasting Forms and Proven Techniques
  • Appointment Calendaring Techniques and Planning Worksheets
  • Marketing Plan
  • Press Releases
  • Client Correspondence and Flyers
  • Correspondence to Professionals to Promote Referrals and Build Relationships
  • Ads Including Newspaper and Radio Copy
  • PowerPoint slide presentation, Script and Organizational Materials for Public Speaking
  • Script for Receptionist: "Answering Incoming Calls"
  • Appointment Confirmation Letters
  • Trust Amendment and Codicil Procedures
  • Client Information Regarding Review of Estate Plan
  • In-Office Estate Plan Update Worksheet

Substantive Information: Searchable database including sections on:

  • Tax Planning: Estate, Inheritance, Income and GST Planning
  • Drafting the Revocable Living Trust
  • Funding the Revocable Living Trust (including step-by-step procedures on specific types of assets)
  • Lifetime Gifting and the Irrevocable Trust
  • Streamlining the Practice

Drafting Aids: From pre-appointment activity and scheduling through drafting and document generation, you will have access to a vast collection of materials.

Document Execution and Funding: Signing appointment procedures including client education to understand their plan, coordinated funding of trusts, and execution of all integrated supporting documents.

Continuing Service Information: Information for continuing to serve your clients including restatement language, trust amendments, and codicils.

Documents for Download: Includes complimentary downloadable:

  • Estate Planning Worksheets for Client Preparation Prior to Appointments (versions for married, single and domestic partners)
  • Checklists for Attorney Use in Drafting During the Initial Appointment
  • Amendments and Restatements to Trusts
  • Business Related Documents
  • Authorizations, Consents, Trustee Resignations, etc.
  • Documents Related to Disability
  • Postmortem Documents Including Disclaimers, Correspondence, and Affidavit of Death

MemberDocs™: Cowles MemberDocs offers Forum members the ability to exchange materials through easy upload and download options. Use this feature as a resource for documents, phrases, articles, marketing materials, slides, and other items submitted by Cowles Forum members.

The system allows you to search for any topic or word, search by state, or view all documents. Documents may be downloaded onto your local drive for customization if needed.

Technical Resources: Online access to a quick start, software guides, Tech Tip archive and more.

InstantUpdate®: Allows for immediate download of software upgrades via Internet.

Internet Links: Direct access to information such as the Uniform Probate Code, the U.S. Code, IRS Applicable Federal Rates, Revenue Bulletins and Treasury Regulations, and sites such as the ABA or State Bar Associations. A convenient starting point for researching estate planning and postmortem issues on the Internet.