In recent years, Long Island has seen more deaths than usual, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some people plan their estates before their passing, not everyone does that. If you want your estate to be valued and distributed accordingly after your death, you should hire a Long Island estate planning lawyer and get things done.
Choosing an attorney for estate planning can be difficult, though, and many are scared of how much time they will spend searching for one. Well, there is no need to worry – we have prepared a guide that will help you select the right lawyer to plan your estate. So, keep on reading.
Table of Contents
What Is the Role of an Estate Planning Attorney?
An estate planning lawyer helps people write their estate plans. But that is not all: they can also offer you advice on how to set up your estate plan and will help navigate situations that involve Power of Attorney.
When you hire a lawyer to help you plan the estate, they will give you advice on tax-beneficial plans and will help create plans that decrease probate complexity. Not only that, but they will also help you designate beneficiaries.
How to Find a Good Estate Planning Attorney?
The key to finding a good estate planning attorney in your area is doing research and comparing your options. Here are some tips that will help you find the perfect lawyer to plan your estate:
1. Understand Your Needs
The first thing you must do is make a list of all your needs. What do you want from an estate planning attorney? Knowing what your goals are will help you look for certain qualities in a lawyer and ensure you find the one that suits you the most.
So, what do you want? Do you want to set up a Trust and fund it, or do you want a whole plan written from scratch? Perhaps you already have an estate plan and just want a legal expert to revise it and update it accordingly? Whatever it is, write it down.
2. Search in Your Area
Nowadays, information is one click away. If you want something, all you need to do is look it up on Google and you will be “greeted” with different websites that have the information you are looking for. Estate planning law is no different – if you want an attorney, the online world will help you do research and find contact details for good lawyers in your area.
You should search for lawyers licensed in your state. The estate planning law is different from state to state. This is why you should hire someone who is not only licensed in your state but also has a lot of experience and knowledge. Being careful with this will ensure you address everything so you can reach the best outcome with your plan.
One great way to find out more about your estate planning attorney is to check online reviews. People voice their opinions on the Internet after having an experience with a certain lawyer or law firm. This will help you find out if you are dealing with a good lawyer or someone who will just take your money without doing a proper job.
3. Ask Your Family and Friends
If you have a family member or close friend who planned their estate before, ask them for recommendations on lawyers in your area. This way, you can find a trustworthy attorney and avoid any legal hassles.
Ask everyone you know for recommendations, whether it is a close family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, or anyone you are in frequent contact with and can trust.
4. Interview the Lawyer
Once you think you have found one or two lawyers you can hire, take your time to interview them. Even if their online information and reviews look good, you should get to know an attorney before trusting them.
Now, do not be alarmed – the interview process should not be too complicated or long. Simply make a list of questions you want to ask and have them ready on the day of the interview. You can ask the attorney things like “How long have you been practicing?”, “Where did you get your law degree?” and so on.
Final Thoughts
Finding a good estate planning attorney may take some time but making an effort to find the right lawyer will pay off. Follow these tips if you don’t want your estate planning journey to be a failure.
