When you’re young, it’s sometimes difficult to fully appreciate the importance of having a will. But according to Business Insider, a will, living will, and durable power of attorney are the three most important documents to have in your possession — at any age.
These documents are measures that ensure your wishes will be honored in the event that you pass away or become incapacitated. However, hiring experienced lawyers to handle your estate planning and will is extremely important.
Here are a few questions you should have handy while searching for an estate lawyer.
Do I Need an Estate Plan for a Small Estate?
Even if you don’t have a significant amount of assets, being in possession of a will or a trust, power of attorney, advance directive, and medical authorization is incredibly important. These documents allow you to appoint a person to make medical and financial decisions for you over the course of a lifetime and allow you to face your future with peace of mind.
What Other Areas of Law do You Practice?
As with any branch of law, there are certain specialized attorneys. For example, you wouldn’t want someone with a large amount of experience in criminal law and little experience in estate law to handle your estate, and vice versa. Always perform your due diligence on any estate lawyer before your initial consultation.
What Potential Issues and Delays Could Arise in This Case?
Any experienced professional lawyer should be able to assess your case and tell you its potential weak points, as well as issues you may run into based on similar cases. This question is perhaps one of the most important, as it can inform you of just how much experience a particular attorney has had with cases like yours.
If You’re Not Available, Who Will Answer My Questions?
Communication is key in any legal situation. If your attorney isn’t available at certain times of the day, you should know who else at their law firm will be able to answer your questions. If you don’t establish this right off the bat, then you may end up running into communication issues later, which can place added stress on your case.
How Will You Bill Me?
It might seem basic, but too many clients forget to bring this up, only to suffer when the bill finally comes. You should know exactly how the lawyer will bill you. For instance, will you be charged every time you call their office to ask a question? If so, you’ll want to make the most out of every face to face meeting and phone call.
It’s crucial to ask certain things of an attorney in any case. The sooner you ask these important questions, the better off you’ll be in the future.