We know that it is a challenge to choose an estate planning lawyer. You likely want to choose someone who is both compassionate and highly skilled. How do you know if an estate planning lawyer you are considering will fit the bill?
To assist you in making your decision, we are providing a list of considerations when choosing an estate planning lawyer.
- What is the attorney’s reputation in the community?
- What do the attorney’s clients say about the estate planning attorney?
- Does the lawyer focus her practice on estate planning or does she try to do many things?
- How long has the attorney been practicing estate planning?
- Does the attorney belong to a national estate planning organization?
- What do you think of the attorney’s website and blog?
- Does the attorney seem down to earth and approachable, yet professional at the same time?
- Is the attorney’s office clean, organized, and welcoming? What do you think of the bathroom?
- How do you feel when you walk in the door?
- Is the staff friendly and responsive?
- Are your telephone calls and emails answered promptly (i.e. within 24 hours or the next business day?)
- Does the attorney offer a no or low fee, no obligation consultation or meet and greet?
- Does the attorney offer educational seminars that you can attend to check her out?
- Does the attorney have a succession plan so you’ll have someone to help you if she leaves the practice?
To narrow your search for the right estate planning attorney:
- Get recommendations from friends
- Choose an attorney who focuses her practice on estate planning
- Attend a seminar or meeting to get a feel for the attorney and her staff
- Then, ask yourself or the estate planning lawyer, as appropriate, the questions outlined above
John Potter is an Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with offices in Ballantyne and Huntersville. John has been designated as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation and a Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law by the North Carolina State Bar.
John’s practice focuses on the use of Wills and Living Trusts in Estate Planning to help individuals protect their families and preserve their legacies after their deaths, but his practice also focuses on the critical issues of protecting individuals with dementia or other diminished capacity, assisting individuals in qualifying for Medicaid and other government benefits to offset the costs of long-term care, and providing special needs planning.
John is admitted to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio, and he is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
John’s practice focuses on the use of Wills and Living Trusts in Estate Planning to help individuals protect their families and preserve their legacies after their deaths, but his practice also focuses on the critical issues of protecting individuals with dementia or other diminished capacity, assisting individuals in qualifying for Medicaid and other government benefits to offset the costs of long-term care, and providing special needs planning.
John is admitted to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio, and he is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Latest posts by John Potter (see all)
- What You Need to Know about the Medicaid Look-Back Rule - January 3, 2023
- How to Pass Down Your Legacy in Your Estate Plan - October 3, 2022
- Practical Steps to Take after Receiving a Terminal Diagnosis - September 30, 2022
