Top Questions to Ask an Estate Planning Attorney

Estate planning is a way for you to exercise control over your estate when you pass away. Although no one can dictate their desires from the grave, pre-planning with an experienced estate planning attorney in Daytona Beach can help you accomplish the same end.

Questions to Ask a Daytona Beach Wills Lawyer

Before you hire an attorney to help you, consider scheduling a consultation with one so you can ask them the following questions.

Is Estate Planning One of Your Primary Focuses?

Any licensed attorney in the state can provide estate planning services. However, attorneys who focus their practice on estate planning are likely more adept at helping clients in need because of specialization. 

How Long Have You Been Helping Clients with Estate Planning?

Experience is important when choosing an attorney to help you plan your estate. When it’s time to choose your lawyer, you want to go with someone who has years of experience serving estate planning clients. 

What Experience Do You Have with Probate Courts?

Probate law and courts are complex, so you want an attorney who has experience not only planning estates but also going through probate. An experienced attorney can preview and preempt problems in the planning stage, ultimately making probate run more smoothly in the future. 

What Are Your Fees?

It is important to understand your potential attorney’s fee structure before hiring them. Of course, the more estate planning services an attorney offers, the higher their fee will be. But in some cases, attorneys offering the same services charge wildly divergent rates, typically due to the experience and expertise differences between the two. 

What Services Are Included with Your Estate Planning Services?

Estate planning is a bag of services designed to give you the peace of mind that all will be well with your estate when you pass on. Some attorneys do everything for you if you so desire, and others simply prepare documents for you and let you notarize and file them. 

In every case, it is best to let an attorney draft and file all necessary documents so you don’t have to worry about clerical and substantive mistakes. 

What Other Costs Are Involved in Probate?

In addition to the fees you will pay your lawyer, you will also want to know what other expenses you and your estate will encounter in the future. For example, probate filing fees are not small and should be factored into your cost calculations. Other fees, such as accountant fees and legal fees, may also apply. 

Do You Have Experience with Complex or High-Value Estates?

If you have a complex estate (an estate worth over $1 million), you will want to ask your potential candidate about their experience handling such cases. As you would imagine, the higher an estate’s value, the higher the stakes involved. Limit your selection to a Daytona Beach wills lawyer with a verified track record of helping clients with high-value estates.

Not all attorneys are the right fit for your needs. By asking a few questions of potential advocates, you can find the right lawyer to handle your fairs the way you want.