Finding the Right Estate Planning Lawyer
Estate planning is the best way for you to ensure that your property and possessions are put in the right hands after you pass away or you aren’t able to take care of yourself anymore. This can be a complicated process, but it doesn’t have to be.
Hiring an estate planning lawyer makes planning your estate smooth and simple. An attorney handling your estate planning can make sure that you do everything carefully and by the book, leaving no stone unturned. So, how do you find the right estate planning lawyer to work with?
Research Attorneys in Your Area
Do a quick Google search of estate planning lawyers in your area and compile a list of potential attorneys you want to work with. After you have your list, research the attorneys’ reviews online and see what their past clients have to say.
Next, visit their websites. Do they have blogs on their websites? Blogs show that the estate planning lawyer is passionate about what they do and has a good knowledge base. Based on these criteria, whittle your list down to about two or three attorneys.
Talk to the Attorneys
Once you have narrowed down your list, it’s time for you to speak to the estate planning lawyers. Now you’ll want to call their office and speak with the attorneys. This is a crucial step in making sure that they will be a good fit for you.
Some good questions to ask in your interview include:
Is your primary focus estate planning?
How long have you been in practice?
Will you give me documents to review throughout the process?
How reachable will you be during the process?
What kind of tax experience do you have?
How much will you charge for estate planning services?
Choosing the Right Estate Planning Lawyer for You
After you speak with the attorneys, there may be a clear frontrunner. Or you could like all of them and don’t know which to choose. Here are some final thoughts for you to consider when making your choice.
Select an attorney who you can see yourself working well with. Someone who is reachable, has good communication skills, and has a personality you can trust. Look out for how they treat your staff when you interact with them; this will tell you a lot about what kind of person they are behind the scenes.
Once you have put in all of the necessary research and work in choosing an estate planning attorney, the choice is yours. When you make your selection, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that you did your homework and selected someone who meets your standards.
Questions?
Choosing the right estate planning lawyer, let alone planning your estate, can be stressful. At Waters Sullivan, we strive to make every step of the process as easy as possible for our clients. Contact us today—we’d love to talk with you.