Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney can be an important step in ensuring your family’s future. A skilled and experienced attorney will guide you through the process of making your wishes known in writing. By making your wishes known in writing, your loved ones will know how to honor them and receive the inheritance you’ve intended for them. Listed below are some things to consider before hiring an estate planning attorney. You should ask for a quote before the initial consultation.
A skilled estate planning attorney will help you organize and locate your information. He or she can help you identify mistakes that could cause your family a lot of grief and frustration. For example, beneficiary designations are often out of date, causing tax consequences that may cause your family considerable stress. If your estate plan does not address these issues, your family may not receive what they’ve been expecting. A skilled attorney will also help you limit the tax liability of your estate.
The right estate planning attorney will have experience in the area and be knowledgeable about the local probate process. They should also know how to best utilize your assets. You can get a referral from friends and family, or look up online reviews. You should meet with several estate planning attorneys and determine their reputation. An estate planning attorney should listen to your needs and be responsive to your questions. If they don’t have any references, avoid using their services.
While simple form-based tools like a will can address many of your estate planning needs, an experienced professional should draft it from scratch. The simplest documents can be invalidated by altering them, and an experienced attorney will be able to avoid this problem. Moreover, a trust will protect your assets from long-term care costs and probate. It’s a common misconception that trusts don’t require probate. By drafting a trust, you can avoid many problems associated with this.
In addition to setting up an estate plan, estate attorneys can advise you on what kind of trusts are appropriate for your needs. If you are a non-U.S. resident, it’s important to know the tax implications of your estate, as a non-U.S. citizen could face issues such as the death tax. Your estate attorney can also recommend creating a charitable trust, which can provide you with valuable tax breaks. In community property states, disinheriting your family may be difficult.
An estate plan is a set of legal documents that presents your wishes for the distribution of your assets, the guardianship of minor children, and your healthcare. While this process can be complex, an estate planning attorney can help you make the right decisions. FindLaw is a great resource for researching estate planning attorneys in your area. The site also offers a brief overview of estate planning, definitions of terms and resources for further research. Once you have completed your estate plan, you will be ready to hire an estate planning attorney to implement your wishes.
