This Article Written for Willhoite Law, PLLC
There is nobody on the earth who can predict death, as it is something that is not really in our hands. In the first place, it may seem less critical for small estate owners. But, it is still necessary to secure your estate, whether you are a landowner or a small property owner. A proper estate plan may aid in reducing the taxes and other acquisition expenses after one passes away.
Estate planning is the process of determining what you want to happen to your estate, which includes all the rights, titles, and interests that you have in the property you own. When preparing a plan, consider the accumulation of that property, how you want to conserve its value, and finally how you want to distribute your estate after your death. Throughout this process, consider the best ways to effectively and efficiently accomplish these tasks, keeping both tax and non-tax objectives in mind.
Estate planning is an extensive process, where you will be lawfully documenting your assets and property sharing decisions. Your ‘Will and trust’ will be legally executed by your trust attorney after your death. Estate planning can also be a vital step to guard your financial future too, as almost all companies have abandoned the pension and retirement plans.
The estate planning can be of any type, such as a will trust, power of attorney, power of appointment, property ownership, etc. At some point in time, it becomes important to decide what your descendants should get from you, after your death. It helps you resolve your worries regarding your assets, and it gives you the peace of mind in the golden period of your life, after retirement.
The trust planning means that you propose to take care of your family’s well-being and estate. Most of the people fail to make estate plans or avoid estate trust planning, often leaving their loved ones in the dark when they start to spend large amounts of money, money they thought they saved by not trust planning on trying to figure out what to do if they become disabled or what becomes or the family estate when they die. All unwanted events could be avoided through accurate and strong trust planning.
Hiring a trust attorney is a very good decision for a person who wants to create a trust to hold the property that will go to their heirs later. An attorney at Willhoite Law, PLLC can help you put all your assets in place so that the inheritance procedure will be more convenient for your legal heirs or assignees. So there is an advantage to hiring one who has had vast experience in this field. Estate law is highly specialized, and a general attorney may not be too detail-oriented to tackle the intricacies involved in the process.
There are lots of attorneys who claim they can do the job, but it is advisable not to be too quick on your decision to hire the first one who sits down with you. If you look through your local phone directory, you will see a number of attorneys listed in the yellow pages. Almost all of them will tell you they can handle trust cases, but here’s a valuable grain of truth. Any attorney who claims he can serve you in the various fields of law is probably not telling the truth. Or if he is, he may not be an expert on any of the various fields of law. Before hiring an attorney, you should do a background check on his professional abilities. This can be easily done by looking at the total number of heir trust cases he has handled in the past. Also, look at his success ratio. You should only hire an attorney for a trust case if you are satisfied with his track record.
When you come to the important decision to hire a trust attorney you want the best for your family. You will have to consider if you want a traditional estate planner who only focuses on the hard numbers and physical assets or would you prefer a holistic counselor who also incorporates legacy development and planning into the process. Conscientious adults make an effort to bank with the best, invest with the best and associate with the best. When seeking to hire an attorney the qualities you need to look for include the following:
- Trustworthiness: The sensitivity of your personal financial matters dictates that you need to have a high level of trust in the attorney who assists you with planning. Most high net worth individuals utilize a team approach that includes their accountant, their financial advisor, and a trust attorney. Each of these professionals typically is competent and knowledgeable and has earned the client’s trust over time and through reputation.
- Professionalism: You should hire a trust attorney that is highly professional. Your attorney should be a recognized leader in his or her field and typically hold special certification or advanced legal degrees. In many cases, your attorney will be standing in your shoes as a professional representative of your interests and affairs. It is important that such an important representative properly represents your family’s goodwill and precious resources. If you have a complicated situation or lots of assets, choose someone experienced with complex situations and issues so they will always be a shining reflection of your initial decision to hire them in the first place.
- Ethics: Since trust planning will deal with all or most of your assets, you should hire a trust attorney that is reliable and ethical. This fact can be checked by asking the attorney if anyone has ever filed a complaint against them in the past. Most will answer honestly, but it is a question of ethics so one should always stay alert. An ethical attorney should consider all your needs and best interests above everything else. An ethical trust planner will always provide sound and legal advice and never recommend faddish or illegal scams to save or hide money.
- Commitment: Commitment to a high standard of quality is a good characteristic of an estate planning attorney. Your planner should provide a warm and courteous environment that fosters a sense of security and accomplishment. Attention to the smallest detail in addressing every last issue in your legacy and estate planning process is the trademark of and excellent planning institution. Your attorney is willing to stay until the job is complete.