Estate Planning

How To Hire an Estate Planning Attorney

By Myrna Arroyo

Choosing an attorney to help you with your estate planning is an important task. The decision certainly should not be made on the basis of advertising. The Yellow Pages are filled with ads–all of which say basically the same thing. You should not hire based solely on TV advertising–anyone can buy a slick commercial.

How Do You Choose? How do you find out who, in your local community, is the best for your case? We believe that there are certain questions to ask that will lead to the best person for your case–no matter what the specialty. It may involve some time on your part, but that’s OK because the decision as to who your attorney will be is very important.

Estate planning, successions and Medicaid planning are much to specialized for someone who does not regularly practice in these areas.  I have often had to go back and fix estate plans that other, less knowledgeable attorneys have handled.

So how do you find out who is good in your area? Here are some tips.

1. Get a referral for an attorney that you do know.  He or she probably knows someone who specializes in the type of help you need.
2. The Yellow Pages can be a good source of names.  However, not everyone advertises there.  My firm does not.  Most of our cases come via referrals from financial advisors and other professionals.
3. Interview several attorneys.  Ask about their experience in estate planning, any associations they belong to.
4. Visit the firm website and read their biographical profile.
5. Does the attorney offer you educational materials to help you understand the issues and options you are facing with as you make estate planning decisions?

Once you find an attorney you are comfortable, make sure you understand their terms of engagement.  Do they use a written engagement agreement that clearly explains the work they will do for you and the fee to be charged?  Is the fee hourly or on a flat fee basis? Do they guarantee your satisfaction with their services?

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Full post as published by Louisiana Estate Planning on November 19, 2007 (boomark / email).