If you’ve decided to begin the estate planning process, you should congratulate yourself on taking steps that most people never take.
But finding a good estate planning lawyer is often easier to talk about than it is to do effectively. Finding a lawyer isn’t just about finding an attorney who knows about estate planning, it’s also about finding someone with whom you feel comfortable. To help you through this process here are a couple of tips you can use.
Develop a list of questions.
No two estate plans are the same, and you will want to think about the questions that are important to you before you visit an attorney. Write these questions down and bring them with you when you meet with your lawyer for the first time.
Schedule several meetings.
You should shop around for an attorney by scheduling several different meetings where you can meet with a lawyer in person to discuss the estate planning process. This meeting will allow you a chance to get a feel for how comfortable you are with the lawyer.
Think about the hard questions.
Estate planning attorneys often have to ask personal and difficult to answer questions so they can ensure their clients have created a plan that meets all of their needs. Think about personal issues in your life that you are reluctant to talk about and consider how comfortable you feel with your attorney. If you know you will not be able to talk about these issues with your lawyer, you may want to look for someone with whom you feel more comfortable.
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