Are you looking for a probate lawyer? Finding a good probate lawyer to help you wrap up your loved one’s estate after he or she has died can be a daunting task. In order to find the best probate lawyer, you should first conduct a research in order to know what kind of probate lawyer you need. This is because there are transactional probate attorneys who deal with the administrative side of probates and litigators who deal with probate lawsuit. For that reason, you should have an idea of what you want in a probate lawyer to get what you need. Here are some tips for finding the right probate lawyer.
The first tip is to ask for a referral. Ask your financial advisor, accountant or family lawyer to recommend you a good probate attorney. Many financial advisors are knowledgeable about the estate planning of their clients to achieve an overall financial goal thus have one or more probate lawyers they can refer you to. Consequently, many accountants look for probate lawyers for their clients since accounting deals with their financial information and family issues that warrant for an estate plan. This means that you can ask your accountant to recommend you to the probate lawyer who did his or her own personal estate. However, do further research to verify the information given as true.
Secondly, conduct interviews on all probate lawyers candidates. When you have a list of probate lawyers it would be wise to conduct an interview that will entail a face to face meeting that can provide you with a lot of insight about the probate lawyer. When conducting the interviews you should have a list of questions that you need the probate lawyer to answer in order to understand what you are dealing with. In addition, ask the lawyer about his or her past cases and their outcome. Ask him or her about his or her experience. Keep in mind that you want an experienced and competent probate lawyer to handle the estate planning. However, if you are handling extremely large estates you should also think about hiring a probate lawyer with expertise on state and federal tax.
Thirdly, choose a competent and experienced probate lawyer. As a client, you want a probate lawyer who is competent, knows the law and one who can handle probate cases efficiently and effectively. Additionally, you need a lawyer you can trust and one who you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that you will be giving the probate lawyer personal and private information. On the other hand look for a lawyer with good communication skills. That is a lawyer who is able to communicate clearly and makes sure that you understand what you are dealing with. Therefore, a competent lawyer is the best bet for you.
Last but not least inquire about the charges. How much does the probate attorney charge? Does he or she charge hourly or after the whole case has been handled? As a client, it would be wise to have an idea on what most probate lawyers are paid in order to be prepared. But all in all, choose a probate lawyer with reasonable pricing.