Estate Planning
Have you been thinking about getting a Last Will and Testament? Power of Attorney?
Living Will? An experienced Attorney will make sure that the
all of your legal interests are protected with the right Estate
Planning documents. Save time in finding the right
Pittsburgh Lawyer, we've already done the work for you!
Featured Estate Planning Attorney
Karen L. Myers, Esq.
"Let's make sure that your assets are protected for your
loved ones".
Contact Attorney Myers at 412-823-8003.
looking for a Pittsburgh, PA Estate Planning Attorney?
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. 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. Your attorney is your legal confidant and is duty bound to
take your confidence with them beyond their own estate plan, which
is shorthand for they must take your secrets to the grave with them.
But it doesn’t matter what their duty is if you don’t feel
comfortable telling them what you need in the first place. If you
begin to feel uncomfortable talking to your would-be estate planning
expert, you should begin to shop elsewhere.
The second thing to consider is that not all attorneys are created
equal with respect to their ability in estate planning. A good first
step in finding an attorney who will be a good fit for you is to ask
people who you already know and trust. Ask the leader of your
church, your doctor and your friends if they have had occasion to
use an estate planner and ask what they think of that person. If you
get a recommendation, don’t stop there. Look your would-be attorney
candidates up on Martindale Hubbell (www.martindale.com) to find out
where they went to school, how long they have practiced and what
fields of law they specialize in. Of course, these answers don’t
tell you everything you need to know about your potential confidant,
but having some information is better than flying blind into the
world of attorneys. If the attorney who was recommended does not
specialize in estate planning, then it may be that you don’t want
that attorney to create a financial plan for you and your family.
Another good way to find an attorney or firm in your area that
specializes in estate planning is to take a look at the National
Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) (www.naela.org). The NAELA is
a site that attorneys visit to keep up on issues involving elder law
and estate planning and it is a great place to find an attorney who
is versed in estate planning. At the NAELA website there is a place
to type in your zip code and find local attorneys who specialize in
elder law and estate planning, which includes their contact
information as well as a map to their door. Once you have that list
you might cross reference it with a Martindale Hubbell search and
ask those you know whether they have heard of any of the attorneys
on the list. In addition to that there are other good sites on the
Internet where you can gather information about the subject before
you meet with an estate planner.
However, the best advice that anyone can give is to find someone who
you relate well to and who you feel comfortable sharing personal
information with. Remember, your estate planner is someone whose
judgment you need to be able to rely on; they are someone that will
present and recommend legal options to accomplish goals that you set
out for them and they need to be the kind of person who can ask you
the right kinds of questions to get the job done and the kind of
person you will feel comfortable answering. If you don’t feel right
about them, even if you just don’t seem to relate well to them in
some small way, it is probably best to look elsewhere for your
planning needs. The bottom line is to trust yourself and your
instincts and impressions about your attorney. Part of the service
that you are purchasing is the ability to feel comfortable about how
your estate planning will be managed and carried out, so make sure
you find someone who makes you feel confident that you are dealing
with a professional who you can trust.
Article Source:
http://add-articles.com
About Ronald E. Hudkins;
Ronald Hudkins is a retired military police enlisted member that was
assigned as a staff researcher. He has coordinated with military and
criminal investigators, set on court marshals and worked closely
with the Staff Judge Advocate Generals Office (JAG). He has a keen
sense of legal matters- their interpretation, initiatives and
guidelines. For imperative financial planning needs he suggests his
book “Asset Protection and Estate Planning for All Ages.”
Additionally, he offers a Free
Newsletter
at his web site:
www.AssetProtectNow.com .