Kelly Legal Group offers clients a variety of services, one of which is serving as an estate attorney. But what does that mean to you, who may be looking for a way to protect your home, family, and assets? An estate attorney helps you plan for the future, gives you a roadmap for helping you protect your assets (tangible and intangible), provides you with ongoing support and guidance, and regularly reviews your documents to ensure that your affairs are continually protected. How can you be sure that you’re getting all of this with the estate lawyer that you hire? Here are a few things to look for as you are interviewing estate lawyers.
Your Estate Lawyer Should Help You Plan
It may seem somewhat obvious, but the estate attorney that you hire should help you plan, very specifically, for your future. You should walk out of your first consultation with an action plan, with specific steps for you to take, to establish the protection that you need for your business or personal interests. Your estate attorney should speak with you about asset structuring, and will help you understand how to most effectively convey your intangible assets (memories, stories, messages, family history) to your loved ones. If you have young children, you should expect your estate attorney to know the best and most cutting edge techniques for protecting your children’s assets from any possible issue, from divorce to guardian misconduct to lawsuits filed against the child. In general, your estate attorney should be able to assess your situation and advise you specifically about the best ways to proceed—and guide you through the process.
Your Estate Lawyer Should Be Available to You
Your relationship with your estate lawyer should go beyond a first, educational consultation. Once the plan is established and legal documents have been signed, your attorney should continue to be a resource for you. No legal document should be signed without his or her consultation, regardless of the situation, since the vast majority of those decisions involve your asset planning. You should be able to discuss retirement plans, savings strategies, and a whole host of other scenarios with your estate attorney and feel confident that you are in good hands. The legal documents that you initial create to handle your estate should be regularly reviewed, to ensure that your plan is still happening.
At Kelly Legal Group, we will be happy to meet and chat with you about our philosophies and practices as estate attorneys. Let us help you plan for the future and, in the process, develop a life long relationship with your family.