Obviously no one wants to think too much about death, but ignoring future planning tasks surrounding your death is a big mistake. Estate planning consists of all of the plans you need to make for your affairs to be handled once you pass away. Taking care of estate planning early in life is helpful for your family or friends who will attempt to handle your end-of-life details. According to Caring, about 60% of Americans have a retirement account, but only about 30% have an estate plan in place. An estate planning attorney can help you. Here are a few tips on choosing a good estate planning lawyer.
Ask Friends and Family for References
Word of mouth is still a great form of advertising. You should talk to friends and family members who have already successfully completed their estate planning. Ask them who they used and who they would not recommend. Sometimes it’s important to know who to avoid as well.
Read Reviews
Review sites can be extremely helpful when you are looking for a new business or service. Law firms get reviewed just like any other business. Look for reviews on reputable review sites such as Google reviews or legal review sites.
Schedule a Consultation
The really only tried and true way to know if you’ll like an attorney is to meet with them personally. You can schedule a consultation with an estate planning attorney in your area. These professionals will sit down with you discuss your goals and explain how their services work.
During the consultation, you should ask plenty of questions. You’ll want to know how much experience they have, and how long they’ve been doing estate planning. You’ll also want to get specific information concerning payments and how fees are handled.
Be Prepared
When you finally decide on an estate planning attorney, you need to be prepared with your information and the goals you hope for them to assist you with. There will be some work needed on your part to collect the necessary documents and information to pass on to the lawyer. They will be able to take this information and create a secure estate plan for you.
If you’re ready to get started on estate planning, please contact our law office today at Ketlinski Law Office, PLLC. Our team of legal professionals is ready to assist you.