You and Your Estate Planning Attorney

An estate planning attorney is an attorney who, through years of mentoring, continuing legal education and experience, understands how to advise clients on getting their affairs in order to prepare for the possibility of mental disability and eventual death.

When considering if you need to hire an estate planning attorney, remember this - estate planning is serious business. One wrong word or one missing signature can change the entire intent of a will or trust. Here are three reasons why it's so important to find and hire a qualified estate planning lawyer.

Searching for a lawyer who can help you put together a good estate plan may seem like a daunting task. But with a little help, you should be able to find several qualified lawyers to choose from. Here's a list of seven resources for locating an estate planning attorney in your state.

There are several factors that you should consider when choosing the right attorney to assist you with meeting your estate planning goals.

Once you've located a prospective estate planning attorney, you'll need to ask the attorney this list of important questions before you hire him or her as your attorney and trusted advisor.

OK, so you've finally decided that it's time for you to meet with an estate planning attorney, but what's next? You can do one of two things: (1) Wait for the meeting date, or (2) Get yourself organized and prepared in advance of the meeting. Here you will find some tips on how to get yourself organized and prepared for your first meeting with an estate planning attorney.

"How much do you charge for estate planning documents?" This is often times the first question out of a potential client's mouth, and like with many things that have to do with estate planning, or any other legal advice for that matter, the answer is "It depends."

There are many factors to consider when it comes to determining the reasonableness of an attorney's fees. Here's a list of factors to consider when determining if the fees quoted to you by a qualified estate planning attorney are reasonable.

Today you can't put together even a simple estate plan without the assistance of an experienced estate planning attorney. Why? Because estate planning is state law specific and these laws are tricky. This means that one wrong word can invalidate your estate plan. Here you'll find some tips on how to minimize the legal fees associated with creating and maintaining your estate plan.

Death is costly, but not just funeral costs. The fees for settling your estate can be significant. If you don't have a plan, then the legal fees will add up. And even if you do have a plan, if you haven't taken the time to maintain it, then it won't work the way you expected and, again, the fees will add up. Here are some tips to minimize the fees for settling your estate.

An estate lawyer is an attorney who, through years of mentoring, continuing legal education and experience, understands how to advise Personal Representatives/Executors and estate beneficiaries on settling all of the affairs of a deceased person.

As times have changed, so has the field of estate planning. When I started out in the field 14 years ago, people and their lives seemed to be less complicated. Today, estate planners are faced with planning for a diverse group, including sophisticated singles, same sex and unwed couples, blended families, and dysfunctional families.

When it comes to estate planning, aside from your estate planning attorney, you should involve your other professional advisors as well as your family, and, if applicable, your religious advisor.

When I started out as an estate planning attorney 16 years ago, estate planning was viewed as a one time transaction. Today, that view has significantly changed.