A trust or estate lawyer is needed while you are planning out your estate. But before you hire them, there are certain questions that you need to ask them. This will assure that they are perfect for your requirements and you are not ending up paying a lot of money for their services. Their services might not directly be the ones you are needing or wanting and hence the questions can help you clear out the doubts. Hiring a good attorney might seem difficult but it is one of the most empowered decisions that you will take.
What will happen at the first meeting and how much will it cost?
While you are sorting out the lawyers you want to meet, you need to directly call up their offices at first. This is the best first-level screening to meet with the right ones. Pay minute attention to the calls that are responded to by their office. You would want to speak to a real person and not a chat bot. Set up a meeting at their office and get to know the action plan. Also, clearly ask them about the cost of this meeting. Anything that will be kept hidden might want you to reconsider your choices.
Are the fees flat? What is included and excluded?
Nobody wants to bump into a nasty surprise down the road. Hence, having clear knowledge right from the beginning is the key. You should know if the lawyer is charging you flat fees or is there anything else included in the same? There might be reasons for such additional fees but that should meet your expectations and you should not get hit with an abnormally high bill.
Does the planning fee involve a regular review of the documents?
In most cases, the families plan and put their legal documents away. They do not think about that anymore. But after the decease, the family is suddenly put into a crisis. The documents get out of date and the assets get illegally owned. As a result, the estate plan fails as a whole. The lawyers must stay in constant contact with their clients and involve a periodic review of both the plan and the assets. They must have continued guidance program and must charge you hourly fees.
You can stay assured that the Litvack Dessureault LLP estate lawyer will help you in every way possible with the right planning and execution.