Three Tips for Choosing an Estate Planning Attorney |
Posted: December 30, 2021 |
When you are dealing with the loss of someone you love, you may not be in the best frame of mind to tackle legal issues. Perhaps there is some confusion about their will, or you have to go through a lengthy process to sort out tax issues before claiming an inheritance. These problems are frustrating, and may not be in your capacity to solve in some circumstances. Below are three tips for choosing an estate planning attorney to help you with these matters. 1. Make a List of Goals Think about what you want from the service you are about to receive. Are you hoping to quickly receive a sizable inheritance or property from a loved one who has died? Perhaps you are in a situation where you want to deal with dividing up assets among several siblings or other family members. Write down a list of goals, which will allow you to present them to the estate planning attorney during your first session. They can tell you whether such matters are within their scope of expertise. 2. Find Someone Experienced The best estate planning lawyers are the ones who have a lot of experience of doing this job in the area where you live. Some legal matters related to estates fall under federal law, while others are state law matters. Having someone on your side who knows this process inside and out within your home state is a huge coup. Say you have a close friend who is a lawyer, but they have minimal estate planning experience. While they may choose to help you with such a matter, they are unlikely to do a stellar job, as estate law is not their area of expertise. 3. Ask About Fees Hiring an estate planning attorney is not inexpensive, as all lawyers charge significant fees for their time. What you can do is find out the rates charged by various experienced attorneys in your area. Then you can decide where you are best off putting your money. Some estate lawyers are very upfront about their fees, as they may charge an hourly fee or a lump sum when your case reaches completion. Others are more vague, and that can be problematic, as you could end up paying a lot more than you expected when all is said and done. Choose Wisely By taking your time to find the best estate planning attorney, you can make sure that your legal matters are handled in the best possible way.
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