Top Five Things to Look for When Hiring An Estate Planning Lawyer

The term estate planning can be defined as the process of making a plan in advance to manage a person’s estate in anticipation of death or illness. It is a common belief that only wealthy people should prepare documents for medical directives, wills, trusts, and guardianship, but this is not true. Estate planning is essential for everyone, and to create a great estate plan, you need an experienced estate planning lawyer who thoroughly understands your situation and unique desires.

However, not every lawyer will have your best interests in mind. If you want to ensure that your wealth goes to the right people, you need to hire a lawyer you can trust. So to help you narrow down the list of professionals at your disposal, here are the top five things to look for when hiring an estate planning lawyer.

1. Professionalism
Estate planning can be an emotional process. Additionally, it can be hard to determine the best plan due to family dynamics. Fortunately, your state planning lawyer will bring an extra voice of reason to help you with current and future needs. A reliable lawyer will work with professionalism and be able to provide you with direct and unbiased answers, which is something that can help to protect your family down the road.

2. Transparency
There is valuable peace of mind in establishing a relationship with an estate planning lawyer who is absolutely transparent when handling your case and only wants the best for you and your beneficiaries. These lawyers can also become a reliable touchpoint and guide for your loved ones after your death or incapacity, helping to ensure smooth settlement of your estate or administration of your trust.

3. Timeliness
A good question to ask your lawyer is how much time it will take to prepare your estate plan. If you are prepared and organized, most experienced lawyers can prepare a first draft of the plan within a couple of weeks. It will usually take them another two weeks to have corrections made. Depending on your specific situation, you may not have that luxury of time. So look for an estate planning attorney who can expedite your estate plan so you and your loved ones can benefit.

4. Communication
Some lawyers hide behind voicemail or their secretaries. You’re not paying an attorney to deal with a secretary. Rest assured, if it takes several weeks just to have a consultation with an attorney, or they are very slow to respond to your calls and emails, it won’t get better once you become a paying client. You’re paying the lawyer to help you with a very specialized area of law that you don’t understand. If you can’t get regular access to the lawyer to help you, you’re not getting what you’re paying for.

5. Knowledge and expertise
The practice of estate planning includes an extremely wide range of topics, from probates to trust administration. A highly skilled trust attorney will be able to establish trusts for loved ones, minimize estate taxes, avoid probate, create wills, plan for disability, and much more. It’s essential to work with specialists who have experience in multiple areas as your situation may demand it.

For an attorney and counselor at law in Albuquerque, NM, for help with estate planning, reach out to Keith R. Romero Attorney and Counselor at Law. Whatever a client may possess, they have worked hard for it and should protect, manage, and control it - while they are able to! After all, the twists and turns of life are unexpected, and one should be prepared. Serving clients for several decades now, I have obtained a certain level of nuanced and intuitive instinct coupled with a very strong grasp of the law. I have applied my skill set to the great benefit of my clients for decades now. I help them plan for the future and navigate to avoid the obstacles and miscalculations of estate planning. As a strategist, planner, and negotiator, my goal and passion is to help people make the best-informed decisions for their lives, legacy, and loved ones. I offer real estate and business planning services to clients across Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Los Lunas, East Mountain Area, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. To learn more about the services I offer, please click here. To get in touch with me, please click here.