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Many clients feel quite comfortable, and more importantly, trust the attorney they have used in the past—although it may have only been for real estate transactions, traffic violations, business related issues, or a simple will. There are many aspects of estate planning that only an attorney can perform. However, like almost all professionals, sometimes the skills of a specialist are required.

There are five areas of questions that the client should have answers to before selecting his or her estate planning attorney.

As an advisor helping a client with planning for their estates, clients expect you to provide advice in all areas. A directive to receive medical information is a small item, but one they should discuss with their attorney. They may not know to ask about it, if you don’t suggest doing so. Having a loved one is a condition that they cannot authorize the release of their medical information to a loved one is stressful. For a loved one not to know what is happening can be even more stressful. Don’t let small things in your planning process cause big problems.

Many estate planners, as well as estate planning software, only show one side of the picture. The emphasis is on how much estate tax will be saved, and/or how much more the heirs will inherit. After all, that is the side of the picture almost every higher net worth individual is concerned.
What about the other [...]