Making plans for what will happen to your children, finances, and assets after you die can be uncomfortable, but estate planning is essential to ensuring your family is provided for once you are gone. With the right attorney, your comfort and best interests will be their top priority, making the process easier to navigate. Here are some important questions to ask when looking for legal help with planning for the future of your estate.
Question #1: What is Your Primary Legal Focus?
If an attorney focuses on a wide range of legal services, they may not be the best to hire for your specific needs. Instead of hiring a general attorney, find a legal professional whose primary focus is estate planning. This ensures you’ll be working with an attorney who has dedicated experience with all aspects of estate planning, including:
- Wills & Trusts
- Estate Taxes
- Probate Process
- Power of Attorney
- Advance Medical Directives
Question #2: How Long Have You Been Practicing?
An attorney who is new to the estate planning field may not have the expertise or real-life experience necessary to meet your individual needs. The estate planning lawyer you choose to work with should be an established professional that has many years of experience in their legal field.
Question #3: Why Should I Work with You, rather than do Estate Planning on my own?
When you’re considering hiring a professional to help you with something, you might toy with the idea of ‘saving money’ by doing it yourself. When it comes to estate planning, the contrary is often true. The expense of retaining an attorney to prepare your estate plan can be minimal compared to the money your heirs could spend on probate, taxes, and additional administrative expenses if you decide to attempt this process on your own.
Question #4: Should I Wait Until I’m Older to Consider Estate Planning?
An estate planning attorney who truly cares about their clients will always answer this question with “no.” This isn’t a tactic to get your business, rather a professional recommendation with your best interests in mind. Estate planning isn’t only for the elderly—and not everyone will live to be 100-years-old.
Accidents and severe illnesses happen every day to people of all ages. If you died tomorrow, who would care for your children and make sure their inheritance was protected? What would happen to your assets? Planning for these things is vital, and it’s never too early to get started.
Trusted Estate Planning Services in Maryland
DK Rus understands the sensitive nature of considering and making future plans for after your death. That’s why she is dedicated to providing a comfortable, compassionate environment for her clients to efficiently navigate the estate planning process. If you have additional questions about estate planning or are ready to get started, contact DK Rus today for a free legal consultation.
