As you make plans for the future, seeking to ensure the best for your family line, it can be beneficial to work with an estate planning lawyer. Simply put, a qualified estate planning attorney can help you draft the right documents and develop the right strategy to maximize the value of your estate, and to see to it that your ultimate wishes are upheld.
As you consider hiring an estate planning law firm, you may wonder: Are all estate planning law experts created equal? Or are there different kinds of estate planning lawyers, specializing in different fields?
Choosing the Right Estate Planning Attorney
The short answer to this question is that, within the field of estate planning law, there aren’t necessarily different classifications of attorney. With that said, there are varied areas in which an attorney might focus their practice, or different services that you might find at one estate planning law firm but not at the next.
Consider some examples.
Basic Estate Planning
Any lawyer with even a basic awareness of estate law can assist you in putting a barebones estate plan into place. Indeed, even firms that do not specialize in estate planning may offer to help you draft a last will and testament.
This is fine, as far as the basics go, but keep in mind that having a will is seldom sufficient for maximizing the value of your estate or for keeping your assets out of probate. As such, it may make more sense to hire an advanced estate planning attorney.
Advanced Estate Planning
So what do we mean when we talk about an advanced estate planning lawyer?
An advanced estate planning attorney can assist with the basics, including wills, but they can also help you put trusts into place. A trust may be a useful way to preserve the value of your estate, to safeguard your family’s confidentiality, and to spare your heirs and beneficiaries from the hassle of the probate process.
Additionally, an advanced estate planning practitioner may be able to help you with minimizing your tax burden, another important way of ensuring the full value of your estate.
Finally, more advanced estate planning lawyers can often help with documents such as powers of attorney and advanced health care directives, allowing you to specify your wishes for end-of-life medical care.
These are all core concerns that can be addressed through careful estate planning, but only when you seek a firm that is dedicated to this field of law, and that boasts plenty of experience with advanced estate planning.
What Else to Consider When Seeking an Attorney
When shopping around for a qualified wills trusts and estates attorney, we also recommend looking for a firm that has roots in the local community. The reason for this is simple: Estate planning laws can vary greatly from one state to the next, and as such, you’ll generally get a more strategic estate plan if you choose a local firm over a nationwide practice.
Connect with an Advanced Estate Planning Attorney in Fremont, CA
Ready to learn more about the estate planning options available here in California? We’d love to sit down and talk with you further. At Singh Law Firm, our attorneys can assist you with any estate planning needs, no matter how simple or how complex. In particular, we can help you develop a plan that includes a will, a revocable living trust, a financial power of attorney, or whatever else you need to achieve peace of mind.
To speak with an attorney, contact Singh Law Firm at your next opportunity.
