Once a person decides upon estate planning, that doesn’t mean all decisions will soon be turned over to a professional.
For one thing, individuals must settle upon an estate planner, and that can seem to be a daunting task.
“Make sure that your attorney knows what you wish to accomplish with your assets and is prepared to assist you in implementing a plan that provides not only for your financial goals, but for your values-based objectives as well,” according to an article on the website avvo.com by Janet Lee Brewer. “Otherwise, it will be much like buying an airplane ticket before you know your destination: you’re going to get somewhere, but not necessarily where you really want to be.”
“Start with friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances for recommendations,” a CBS News Market Watch article by Marshall Loeb states. “Word of mouth is still one of the most reliable ways to get a good referral.”
“If you have decided to put your affairs in order and finally accept the fact that estate planning is something most of us would be better off having than not, the next thing you might be wondering about is how to choose an estate planning attorney,” Ronald Hudkins states in an ezine.com item. The first thing to remember is that your estate-planning attorney is a person with whom you will share a great deal of personal information. The bottom line is whoever you choose, you should feel comfortable talking to him/her about your needs and concerns and if you don’t he/she is not the right attorney for you.”