Searching for a lawyer to help you make a sound estate plan can seem intimidating.But with some tips, everything should come easier.
Ask your financial consultant for recommendations.
Financial consultants are often a great source of information for those who are trying to find a qualified local estate planning lawyer . Many of these advisors look at estate planning as a basic part of financial health, and so they will probably know at least one estate lawyer to whom they can refer their clients.
Ask your accountant.
Estate lawyers typically seek the help of accountants regarding estate, trust, and income tax matters. Hence, your accountant may be able to refer you to a few local estate planning attorneys who could be helpful with your estate plan. Similarly, whenever an accountant’s client’s financial situation calls for estate planning, they usually refer that client to an estate planning lawyer.
Set up appointments with other lawyers.
Most probably, the lawyer you worked with when you set up your business, purchased your home or divorced your spouse is not the one you need for estate planning. Do see them anyway, if only to seek referrals to estate planning experts they know. They will be willing to provide some, knowing it will encourage referrals all the way back.
Contact your local or state board.
Every state obviously has a bar association, and lawyers who practice in a particular city or county may have their own as well. These associations usually maintain lists of their members, along with the areas of law they specialize in, and some actually provide referral services. If you have this referral service where you live, approach them.
Pay attention to lawyer ads.
Attorneys, including estate lawyers, known to advertise their legal services, both online and offline. Attorney advertising is regulated in all states, which means only ads that pass the specific state bar association’s scrutiny are allowed. The purpose is to prevent any lawyer from making false claims or unachievable promises.
Ask your local probate court for help.
If you live in a large city, this may not apply to you; otherwise, court clerks usually know all local lawyers and can probably provide referrals. It’s actually easy to get referrals this way, and the act of approaching the clerks like this is even often seen as a high compliment.
This list only serves as a starting point and cannot substitute the huge amount of information on the Internet on estate planning lawyers. Sometimes, though, excessive information is simply that, and you have to stick with just the basic and most effective methods.
