Estate planning attorneys help create a plan or will that ensures your assets are protected and claimed by your beneficiaries without having to fight strenuous battles in the court.
Estate planning is a crucial part of financial planning that usually covers two aspects. One, what happens to your assets after you pass away. Two, who will make essential decisions on your behalf if you are mentally incapacitated.
A reputable elder estate planning law firm hosts a team of qualified lawyers who are experienced to manage trusts, wills, probate processes, and taxes. They make sure that your rights and assets are protected from people who dubiously want to be a part of your will, and help minimize the beneficiaries’ taxes.
Finding the right estate planning attorney is essential to ensure your will is divided according to your intent, but some people find the process daunting. To help you with the same, in this post, we have listed 3 tips.
Create A List Of Specialists In Your Area
The first step is a search hunt. You have to create a list of attorneys in your area. But before you start with the process, make sure you look for lawyers that specialize in estates.
As obvious as it sounds, it is crucial because lawyers that have no prior experience in handling estate planning won’t be able to advise you appropriately.
As mentioned before, a good estate lawyer has adequate experience and expertise to curate wills and deal with probate processes.
So, before you search the web for estate planning attorneys in your area, ask your friends and families for a referral. If any of your acquaintances have already worked with an estate lawyer, they could help you start on the right foot.
Along with listing their references, visit your state bar association and pen down the names of specialists that service in your area. This could help you a great deal.
Shortlist And Interview Potential Attorneys On Your List
Once you have identified your options, it’s time for you to narrow down the list and get in touch with the most reliable, qualified, and affordable ones.
Estate planning is a complex process, so before you shortlist lawyers, it’s important you consider their years of experience in the field, previous cases they have handled, consultation fees, professional organizations they work with, etc.
Once you do that, it’s time to call these people for a short interview. If the lawyers don’t charge any fees, you can meet them face to face also.
When interviewing your options, briefly discuss your requirements and ask them what steps will they take to ensure everything is covered. Their understanding of your situation will speak volumes about the vibe they give and whether they are willing to work with you.
This process can take long but will give you clarity about who can be your potential estate planning lawyers.
Check References And Book A Consultation
After step two, you will probably eliminate the ones that didn’t seem to be the right fit. Now is the time when you cross-check with the references the lawyers gave.
All you need to do is check their reviews on social media and schedule a call with people they have already worked before. Their previous clients can offer you quality information about their professionalism, ethics, and working standards.
If you read/ hear any bad reviews about the lawyers, don’t make any compromises. Have a follow-up conversation and make the right decision.
Once you do that, you can book a consultation and get an estate plan in place.
Final Words
Finding a reputable and reliable estate planning attorney can be a tedious process, but the effort you put in will definitely pay off.
Follow the above-mentioned steps to make the process easier for yourself.
