Kelsey Lorraine Swieringa

I remembered Kelsey from an estate planning information session she gave at VCU. My husband and I talked about our assets and how we wanted to get things in order for our children but had no clue where to begin. Our initial consult with her was very informative and she took the time to answer all q...uestions and provided us with the best plan of action for his. She is very professional and knowledgeable of any issues pertaining to estate planning and made us feel very comfortable. The finished product was so professionally put together that it just blew us away. In addition to a bound, hard copy of our will, we received our documents on a very nice jump drive. It was truly a pleasure working with her and though our encounter was brief, I will never forget her warm, friendly personality and how she helped us achieve a goal we talked about for a while. Also, the staff was very welcoming and polite. You only have one time to make a first impression and they nailed it. She was indeed a blessing to us. Best wishes Kelsey!

Kelsey presented a class through the Williamsburg Area Learning Tree, a local community not-for-profit organization that offers classes about a wide variety of subjects. The topic she presented was titled "Estate Planning with Wills, Trusts & Other Strategies." My husband and I attended as we had put... off making any sort of a will for many years. Based on Kelsey's ability to explain the various components of estate planning, the differences between wills and trusts and why one may need one instead of the other, and the need to plan not only for death but for incapacitation and other health issues, we decided to hire her to create our wills (and durable powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, HIPAA releases, and living wills). She was very clear about everything and was very concerned that we understood what we were asking for. We would recommend her highly.

Several years ago I had an estate plan drawn up by another attorney. Since that time my circumstances changed and I needed a new plan. Kelsey did an excellent job of reviewing the old plan and explaining to me some of the problems/omissions in it. She then reviewed my current situation and suggested ...that a new plan should be created to cover a variety of situations that I had never considered. For example, on my "Release of Health Care Information" she pointed out that frequently it is helpful if other people (besides those with power of attorney) have access my medical information - my children's spouses, a close friend, my sister, clergy members, etc. The completed plan (will, trust, powers of attorney, health care access, etc.) was much longer than my original plan, but she spent time reviewing the various sections with me to make certain that I understand what is included and why it is there. She is able to explain legal issues in a way a non-attorney can understand. Kelsey was very easy to work with and took the necessary time to make sure that I understood what she was telling me and that she understood what I told her. I highly recommend using Kelsey Swieringa to assist you in your estate planning.