5 Reasons To Hire an Estate Planning Attorney
Are you questioning whether or not you need to hire an estate planning attorney? As you get older, there can come a time when it makes sense to start getting your estate in order.
Take a look at five ways an estate planning attorney can help you:
1. Potentially Avoid the Long, Costly Probate Process
When a person dies, it can involve a long court process to transfer the deceased’s estate to his or her heirs and beneficiaries. This can be an expensive process and can take years to resolve. You may be able avoid this by hiring an estate planning attorney. Your lawyer knows all of the probate laws and processes and can advise you on steps you may want to take to avoid a long legal battle for your heirs and beneficiaries.
2. Protect Your Assets and Your Family
When you work with an estate planning attorney, you can work with your lawyer to create an estate plan. This will be comprised of documents including:
- Will
- Trust
- Power of Attorney
- Medical Directives
- Guardianship Nomination
Having this plan in order will help your loved ones when you pass. This will ensure your wishes are carried out, and that your assets are given to those who you intended.
3. Organize Your Information
An attorney will make sure your documents are organized and that vital information – like financial records, titles, insurance policies, and beneficiary designations — is accessible after your passing. This will give your family the information they need and can help prevent mistakes as they settle your estate.
4. Avoid Mistakes
An attorney can also help create your plan and organize your information accurately. This will help you avoid mistakes that you might make if you were handling the documents on your own.
A lawyer can help you avoid the following errors:
- Failure to make an estate plan
- Forgetting to complete documents
- Leaving certain assets out of your plan
- Forgetting to update the estate plan if life changes occur
5. Update Documents As Needed
After completing your initial estate plan, you might experience life changes that will require you to update your documentation. This can include divorce, the birth of a child, marriage, or another life-altering event. It’s important to document these changes in your plan to ensure your estate is up to date at the time of your passing.
Why Hire Us As Your Estate Planning Attorney
When you need to establish an estate plan, let the experts at Johnstone Adams LLC represent you. Ranked in the 2022 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list regionally in 12 practice areas, we have experts in many areas of law to give our clients top-notch representation. In business for more than a century, our firm can mix its experience with the ability to evolve with the changing times.
