Elliot Dear Attorney | Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney

 According to  Elliot Dear Attorney, when choosing a will, trust, or estate attorney, it is extremely important to consider many key considerations before signing a contract with them. This lawyer will take care of your sensitive family and financial matters, including helping you to transfer assets to your children and other close family members, protecting you from unnecessary taxes, and helping you to decide who should make medical decisions on your behalf. The answers to the seven questions in this special report must be known to you.

#1 Does the attorney provide a free consultation, and will he go over the details of the first meeting's plan?

An attorney ought to provide you with a free, no-obligation consultation. First, talking to him or she will make you feel at ease and allow you to honestly express your issue. Additionally, you will have the possibility to probe the lawyer's qualifications to manage your legal problems. Second, by asking you questions, the attorney can learn more about your situation. You could discover that you do not get along with this attorney. However, the attorney can decide that your case is not one he wants to take on or is beyond the scope of his practice. This sort of cooperation must be comfortable for both you and your attorney to be successful and productive.

#2 Does the attorney have a defined fee for the services he will provide, and will this be confirmed in writing?

An official contract known as a retainer agreement should be used by every lawyer. The lawyer must uphold this agreement and make clear in this contract what fee you will be charged. Elliot Dear Attorney says that the attorney is required to provide you with a full breakdown of the fee structure, the services he will offer, and your available payment options. You should carefully read this agreement before signing it to understand the costs, the services the attorney will give, the information he will require from you, any deadlines involved, and any other duties that you must fulfill. Never be afraid to ask the lawyer any questions if there is anything in the agreement or elsewhere that you do not understand. You should ask when the project is expected to be completed.

A flat fee encourages the attorney to operate efficiently by preventing you from getting an unexpectedly large bill when the services are finished. This can happen if the lawyer's task takes longer than he intended to complete.

#3 Does the attorney provide a guarantee for his work? Will he return your money if you're not completely satisfied?

Your lawyer works for you and is paid to help you with estate planning. You shouldn't put up with a lawyer who won't refund your money if you're unhappy with the service. Additionally, your attorney should be willing to make adjustments to the first documents that he draughts. You shouldn't expect the lawyer to change these documents after he has created them and you have expressed your pleasure, though, unless you have retained the lawyer on retainer. Please understand that no attorney can guarantee that if your matter gets to trial, you will win.

#4 Will the attorney help you make wise choices about insurance, retirement planning, and college funds for your children?

Your lawyer should help you with all other difficult decisions that will need to be made, such as buying insurance, putting money away for the future, retirement planning, and saving for education. They should also give you advice on the best legal forms and vehicles to use for your estate planning requirements. According to Elliot Dear Attorney, your lawyer should have a team of trustworthy advisors on standby to help you make the best decisions possible.

If your lawyer is unwilling or unable to provide you with advice on these matters, you should search for another one. By hiring such a lawyer, you may avoid making expensive mistakes and save yourself the time and money it would cost to look for alternative experts.

#5 Does your attorney have a process in place to immediately address inquiries from clients over the phone and via email? Will your attorney inform you of developments in your case?

Your lawyer must return your calls, emails, and questions promptly. You are paying this attorney for more than simply the creation of your estate planning documents; you are also paying for legal counsel, support, and attention from a qualified expert. How often have you heard from friends and relatives that a lawyer doesn't return phone calls for days, weeks, or even longer? Do not tolerate such unprofessional behavior. Inquire about this with your lawyer, and if he is unable to convince you that he has a mechanism in place for this, keep looking for a lawyer who will answer you right away.

#6 Does your attorney have a plan in place to help you capture and transmit not just your worldly riches but also your intellectual and spiritual assets as well as what is important to you?

Some attorneys are aware that wealth is influenced by your personality as well as your net worth and the value of your brokerage and retirement accounts. Your intangible assets, such as the lessons you have learned through a lifetime of collecting wealth or the information you have obtained from your experiences that you would like your children to learn more about, are very valuable—almost priceless, according to Elliot Dear Attorney. It's important to remember some things.

When deciding whether to hire an attorney, select one who will help you identify, list, and transfer all of your assets, even those intangible ones that are usually ignored.

#7 Will your attorney ensure that your assets are appropriately owned and structured?

If your assets are not owned and titled legally, no matter how costly a lawyer you hire and how much you pay him, the plan he comes up with won't work. In addition to ensuring that your agreements are properly drafted, the attorney you want to hire should be prepared to ensure that your assets are organized effectively.

 Elliot Dear Attorney says that don't be afraid to ask your family members questions before hiring an attorney to help with legal preparation. If an attorney you discover replies favorably to these questions, you should retain them as soon as possible before their caseload becomes too heavy and they stop taking on new clients. Ask these questions and receive the right answers before engaging a lawyer to work on your wills, trusts, and estate to be sure you have put in place legal planning for your family that will be successful when you need it.