15 Tough Questions To Ask An Estate Planning Attorney Before You Write A Check

Written by James Moore

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January 16, 2023

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15 Tough Questions To Ask An Estate Planning Attorney Before You Write A Check

Before you break out the checkbook with an estate planning attorney, you want to make sure it’s worth your money. How can you be certain that this practice will meet your needs? Ask the attorney these 15 tough questions, and you’ll be on to the next step in no time.

The 15 Questions to Ask An Estate Planning Attorney

1. Can you send me information, without obligation, about wills, living trusts and probate so I can learn more?

2. How were you specifically trained as an estate planning attorney?

3. What percentage of your practice is devoted to estate planning?

4. How many hours of continuing legal education in this field have you had in the past year?

5. How do you charge for probate services? If hourly, how many hours will it take and how much do you charge per hour? If by percentage, what is the percentage?

6. How many fully funded living trusts have you set up?

7. How do you charge for your initial consultation?

8. How do you charge for the “design” of an estate plan? If hourly, how many hours will it take and how much do you charge per hour? If by percentage, what is the percentage?

9. Will you fund my trust for me and, if so, how do you charge for trust funding?

10. If I have more questions after you have set up my trust, may I call you? Will there be a fee if I call you?

11. Do you have a formal estate plan updating system, and if so, what are the charges associated with it?

12. How many of your living trust centered estate plans have involved a probate after the plan has matured?

13. Do you offer trust “settlement” services upon either the disability or death of the trustmaker?

14. How do you charge to settle a trust? If hourly, how many hours will it take and how much do you charge per hour? And if by percentage, what is the percentage?

15. Will you provide me with a written guarantee that your settlement fees will not exceed your quote, so I can have peace of mind about it?

Now That You Know What to Ask

This list of questions will not only challenge the attorney, but also help you know what you should expect from them.

Now you have a list of questions to ask an estate planning attorney, so why not get started? Book a no-cost meeting with us today and let us answer your tough questions.

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