If you think you’ll need an estate lawyer sometime in the near future, take the time to really get a feel for what you’re looking for so that you will be ready to make your choice without feeling rushed or desperate.
Tips for finding the right estate lawyer:
If you’re just starting out your search, these tips can help you figure out who you should meet with for the right long-term professional connection.
- Look online as much as you look locally: Back in the day, the phone book was the only option to help you find the right estate lawyer - or most services and professionals for that matter. While some areas do still have a smaller version of the Yellow Pages that is distributed to households, with the worldwide web's ability to search for specific criteria, you’ll also want to look at online options. You never know who can offer superior service to you even if they aren’t geographically in your area unless you take the time to search options through online sources.
- Get a lawyer who focuses entirely on estates: This seems silly, but it’s true! Not all lawyers even within estate planning, focus just on estates. If your needs are specific to dealing with an estate, you can shortlist only the options that specialize in only what you need. This will help you know that you’ve got the right specializations in place.
- Do your accountability check: An important step to checking out any professional is asking about their accountability, including malpractice insurance. Since you are going to be trusting them with your entire estate (or someone else's that you are an executor for) and it’s most likely going to be a long-term relationship, you need to know that you are protected in the worst-case scenario.
- Never settle for what is most convenient: Some people just want the cheapest or closest option for their needs, but you should always choose the one that feels right and offers you the services that you need. In the long-term, this will always serve you better than just going for what is most convenient!
Focus on the right factors
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of finding the right professional, remember that you aren’t alone. It is a really intimidating journey that you are on but, from start to finish, these tips will help you find the right estate lawyer while making sure that you still get to feel as though the choice that you’ve made is the right one.
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