How to Select an Estate Planning Attorney
Consider the following:
- Does your attorney really care about your concerns? In order for you to feel comfortable discussing personal issues, you should feel that your attorney is truly interested in helping you.
- Does your attorney provide a fixed-fee option? Paying your attorney a fixed fee to prepare your basic estate documents allows you to discuss your estate planning concerns and questions in detail, without fear of incurring additional legal fees.
- Does your attorney offer to meet you outside of the office? Your attorney should be willing to meet you at your home or other setting which is comfortable for you.
- Does your attorney find the personal side of estate planning rewarding and take pride in their work?
- Is your attorney a “good listener”? Successful estate planning may require you to think about your relationships and attitude toward money in a way that you have never done before, and your attorney should be sensitive to your issues and help you address them.
- Does your attorney’s law firm value estate planning? Your attorney should work at a firm that values the importance of estate planning and estate planning clients.
- Does your attorney maintain a relationship with you after your documents are prepared? Your attorney should keep you informed of significant changes in the law and remind you to review your documents periodically.
Being a good estate planner requires more than having a thorough knowledge of tax laws and being skilled at drafting documents--it involves compassion, empathy and understanding.