Estate planning is an important step to help you secure your future and ensure your wishes are fulfilled and respected after you pass away. Although a skilled Estate Planning Lawyer can help you draft a will that reflects your wishes, it is important to have a lawyer who can help you avoid problems and help you tackle legal issues effectively. In this article, you will learn about common mistakes you must avoid while hiring a lawyer for your estate planning.
Common Mistakes You Should Avoid While Hiring a Lawyer for Planning Your Estate
Here are some common mistakes you need to avoid while hiring an estate planning lawyer, given below:
- Seeking Options From Online:
Online resources can be a great way that will help you get in touch with lawyers. However, relying on them can lead to a big mistake as you will end up paying lower fees to the lawyer, who may not have any significant experience or knowledge in handling such cases. On the other hand, you can hire an experienced lawyer by seeking recommendations from your family and friends.
- Not Researching Your Options Clearly:
Even if you are searching the lawyers online or offline, don’t just go with the first lawyer you come across. As mentioned earlier, you can seek recommendations from your family and friends, who will help you get in touch with a legal expert. Furthermore, you should also look for lawyers specializing in estate planning, especially those who have handled cases that are similar to yours.
- Not Looking at the Experience and Location:
Estate planning laws can differ from state. So you need to choose a lawyer who is licenced to practice in your state, preferably the one familiar with the local legal nuances. In addition to that, they should also have a proven track record. Hence, you need to look for lawyers who meet the abovementioned criteria.
- Not Preparing for Your Initial Consultation:
This is the biggest mistake many people end up committing. Before meeting your lawyer for the first time, you need to take some time to collect all important documents including the list of your assets and liabilities. You should always consider your goals for the estate plan and have any queries you may have for the lawyer. This preparation will help you get a lot of valuable insights during your first consultation, which will further influence the flow of your case.
- Lack of Rapport or Poor Communication:
There are a lot of sensitive issues involved in estate planning, which many people are not able to explain to their lawyers clearly. You need to be comfortable with the ability of your lawyer to understand your wishes and communicate without any fear. During the consultation, you should look carefully at the lawyer’s communication style and personality, which will help you understand the way they explain things and the clarity they showcase while doing so. You should also look if they are genuinely interested in your needs and concerns.
- Not Enquiring About Fees and Billing Practices:
Any client needs to know the fees charged by the lawyer. You can discuss the fee structure of the lawyer effectively, which will help you understand it really well. You should look if they are charging on a hourly basis, a flat fee, or a mix of both. Furthermore, you need to be aware of the additional costs involved while hiring legal counsel.
- Not Getting Everything Recorded or Written:
Once you select a lawyer for your needs, you need to have a clear written agreement that will define the scope of services, fees, and schedule of payment. This will effectively lower the chances of conflict between you and your lawyer.
- Not Involving Your Family Members:
You need to discuss the estate plan with your family before getting your will drafted by your lawyer. This will help you prevent conflicts in the future. You need to let your loved ones know your intentions and who you have selected as beneficiaries.
- Going it Alone:
Estate planning has a lot of complex legal matters. Many people make the mistake of planning it alone without seeking any legal assistance. Hence, you should consult an experienced lawyer, who will help you draft your will and ensure your wishes are fulfilled.
Conclusion
There are a lot of legal experts who can help you tackle all the problems related to wills and estate planning. Without seeking their guidance, you won’t be able to draft a will and can land in a lot of trouble. Hence, it is important to get in touch with a lawyer with expertise in estate planning. They can help you draft a will and ensure the future of your loved ones and yours is secure without any problems.