Attorneys specializing in estate planning law, also called trust attorneys provide guidance and services pertaining to the best way their clients can transfer their properties to one or more beneficiaries after the death of the clients. Two of the most common situations when clients approach estate planning experts is to have a living will or a testament drafted and to have a trust created to make asset transfer possible if the client dies or becomes incapacitated while also maintaining the value of those assets as much as legally possible by helping beneficiaries avoid lengthy and expensive probate processes.
Why Work with a Lawyer Specializing in Estate Planning Law
There are numerous resources such as online templates and other tools that you can use to draft your own will or to create your own trust and many people use these tools to avoid having to pay lawyer fees. Using these tools may be an acceptable solution if your financial situation and your family circumstances are easy to deal with, but even if you have a straightforward situation, drafting your documents in a DIY fashion cannot guarantee that they are in compliance with applicable laws regarding content, form and other requirements. There are numerous benefits to hiring an experienced lawyer for a task so complex and important as assuring the future of your assets:
- Professionals can save you time and energy you would otherwise need to invest into researching and familiarizing yourself with the intricacies of estate planning laws,
- They can guarantee your documentation will comprise all your intentions regarding the transfer of your assets,
- They can help you decide whether it is a certain type of will or a form of trust that suits your situation and your intentions the best,
- They can administer your documents for you after they have been drafted to make sure they are suitably modified in case your intentions, your circumstances or the applicable laws change.
Finding the Right Lawyer
The lawyer most suitable for what you want has the right kind of experience, the right kind of attitude towards you as a client and the right kind of reputation. You can start searching for a lawyer by asking friends or business partners whether they know a suitable lawyer.
Contacting your accountant or your financial advisor is also a good idea – trust attorneys work with financial experts on a regular basis, so your consultant might have the right names for you. Local bar associations also provide referral services free of charge – contact them and you will be able to obtain a list with all the trust lawyers in your area.
The internet is another great resource wen looking for a lawyer – enter a query into your browser and you will get lots of results with the websites of law firms that provide estate planning services as well as of individual lawyers that can help you draft a will or set up a trust. When you have a list of at least lawyers you consider suitable, contact them for a personal interview – personal impressions matter just as much as qualifications, references and reputation.