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Selecting an Advantageous Trust and Estate Lawyer

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Published: 20Mar2006
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Trust and Estates is a rapidly growing area of practice in the law that includes estate planning, managing your estate during life and disposing of your estate at your death through the use of trusts, wills and other planning documents.

Learn about Distinctive Legal Practice Areas.

You can easily become familiar with the different practice areas to determine the type of lawyer who will work best on your legal matter. For the purpose of asset protection and estate planning you will need a lawyer well versed in Trusts and Estates.

You will want to hire an attorney who regularly handles matters in the areas of concern in your particular situation, and who will know enough about other fields to question whether the action being taken might be affected by the laws in other areas of law. For example, if you’re going to rewrite your will and your spouse is ill, the estate planner needs to know enough about Medicaid to advise you about whether it’s an issue with regard to your spouse’s inheritance.

Unfortunately, there are some attorneys who hold themselves out as experts in trusts and estates, but who have little or no experience in this area of practice. They recognize that the aging America represents a business opportunity for them and they hope to “cash in”. So you will want to be particularly careful in narrowing down your selection of a trust and estate planning attorney.

Finding a Lawyer May Be Easier Than You Think.

Creditable and trustworthy resources are already available to you on the Internet. For instance, www.lawyers.com offers a complete database of lawyers sorted geographically and by expertise.

Finding a Lawyer May Seem Like a Monumental Task.

You’re already anxious because you have a legal problem. A creditor may have sued you or you may have been injured in an auto accident. Perhaps you want to start a business, adopt a child or finally tackle your estate planning needs. In these situations, you need a lawyer to protect your rights, but each situation requires very different skills. Yet many people don’t know how to find a lawyer that is right for them, which only raises their anxiety level.

Not surprisingly, recent studies suggest that the vast majority of consumers (81%) wish there was a resource to help them find competent lawyers. The study also suggests that 62% would like to have access to legal resources on the Internet. This article outlines the basic steps to finding a lawyer and using Internet resources already available to you.

Check Out the Database of Lawyers in Your Community.

You can use www.lawyers.com. Other Internet resources can help as well. Lawyer referral services, operated by your local bar association, can assist in finding a lawyer who is right for you. Visit www.abanet.org/referral/ to find a referral service close to home. If you qualify financially, consider contacting your local legal aid service by clicking on www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono.html. You can also contact a legal professional association or the American College of Trust and Estate to find the best attorneys in your area.

Yet some things can not be done on the Internet! In all cases, be sure to interview the lawyer to assure yourself that he or she has the expertise and experience you need, and that you have a comfort level that will allow you to be honest and open with him or her. Usually, you will not be charged (or charged very little) for this initial consultation.

Ronald E. Hudkins aggressively coordinates with government agencies, organizations and field experts to compile information designed to help consumers avoid deceptive business practices. He is currently publishing his site that specializes in asset protection and estate planning. The site includes how to find, research credentials, interview and hire an estate planning attorney. The site overviews community based services available for long-term care and provides massive information resources. Estate documentation (personal and financial) is overviewed and an Estate Planning Checklist is included. The site covers Medicaid planning and eligibility requirements as well as a legal frequently asked questions section and much more. A description of his education and experience can be found at http://www.AssetProtectNow.com .

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