• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Potter Law Firm

North Carolina and Kentucky Estate Planning Attorneys

phone iconNC (704) 944-3245
KY (606) 324-5516
Attend A Free Seminar - KY Attend A Free Webinar - NC/SC THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT

  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Practice Areas
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • Probate
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Nursing Home Planning
    • Veterans Benefits
  • Communities We Serve
    • Kentucky
      • Boyd County
        • Ashland
        • Florence
      • Kenton County
        • Covington
        • Fort Mitchell
        • Independence
    • North Carolina
      • Mecklenburg County
        • Charlotte
        • Davidson
        • Huntersville
  • Resources
    • Definitions
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law Links
      • Elder Law Reports
      • Local Elder Law Resources
        • Ashland Elder Resources
        • Covington Senior Resources
        • Huntersville Elder Law Resources
        • Independence Senior Resources
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Emergency Legal Documents
    • Free Estate Planning Seminars
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid
      • Pet Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Kentucky Probate Resources
      • Ashland, Kentucky Probate Resources
    • Newsletters
    • North Carolina Probate Resources
      • Huntersville, NC Probate Resources
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Elder Law Reports
      • Estate Planning for Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • Contact Us
  • BLOG
Home » Estate Planning Articles » Choose Your Estate Planning Practitioner Wisely

Choose Your Estate Planning Practitioner Wisely

June 30, 2011 by John Potter

Compliments of Our Law Firm,
By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

What comes to mind when you think of estate planning? Perhaps the ideal image is a family relying on an experienced, trusted attorney to guide them through the ups and downs of life, helping them work out the legal issues surrounding illnesses, deaths, and other major life events.

What most of us don’t think about when we consider estate planning is an unqualified, or even unlicensed, individual producing cookie-cutter estate plans that may or may not work as intended. However, this and do-it-yourself software/websites are faces of the estate planning industry.

Estate planning is a unique and highly complex area of the law. It requires knowledge of family law, business law, tax law, real property law and probate practice and procedure, and a laundry list of other areas. For an attorney to truly focus on estate planning, extensive education and training are required.

This begins with seven years of higher education – four years in college and three more years at an accredited law school. Then, a new law school graduate is required to take and pass a rigorous state-specific bar exam to demonstrate their ability to counsel clients before being licensed to practice law. Maintaining that license requires work, too. In most states, attorneys are required to pursue continuing legal education each year. Unethical behavior results in the loss of the license to practice law.

A truly capable estate planning attorney has devoted years of their life to sharpening the legal knowledge and skills required to give clients solid, trustworthy advice and assistance. He or she also spends a considerable amount of time staying up-to-date on new developments in this always-changing area of law. The estate plans they create for clients are customized and individualized based on an in-depth conversation about the client’s current financial situation, plans, and what the client wants to happen after their death.

Unfortunately, not everyone offering estate planning services is well-trained or well qualified. There are licensed attorneys who don’t focus their practices on estate planning, but dabble in the occasional Will or Trust. Even though they are attorneys, these practitioners often are not current on all the complexities involved in effectively counseling clients in this area of the law.

Then there are the non-attorneys. Certain banks, insurance companies, and investment brokers offer “estate planning services,” but their knowledge lies in one small area, such as life insurance or annuities. They’re not equipped to look at the larger picture and help clients put together a comprehensive, effective estate plan.

Worse than these organizations are the trust mills. Trust mills are staffed with non-attorneys, and they grind out estate plans that are essentially fill-in-the-blank, cookie cutter documents. Trust mill employees don’t have sufficient legal training, and they are not qualified to counsel clients or answer legal questions. However, they practice law without a license, providing documents to client upon client which are inadequate to meet their needs.

Your estate plan is too important to entrust to someone who is unlicensed, unqualified, or merely a dabbler. An attorney who focuses on estate planning has the knowledge, skill, and experience to take a big-picture view in assessing your goals and putting an effective plan in place to achieve them.

Free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.

Texting Permission

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Testimonials

default image

Overall The Potter Firm was very professional. They took what could of been a very complicated process and were able to break it down so it was a lot easier to understand. We are confident we now have made the right decisions in our estate planning. Good firm to work with.

DKS & KMS Client Review August 28, 2020

default image

John Potter has been a real pleasure to work with. He is very knowledgeable and explains things in a very simplistic manner so the average person can understand how/why the laws are written. He is very attentive and asks questions in such a way that not only helps him understand your goals, but also helps you think about what type of goals and expectations you should be considering. Exemplary client service.

David J. Client Review August 28, 2020

default image

My husband and I selected Ms. Potter to assist with our small business. She responsive and attentive every time I have a question or need assistance, and is extremely knowledgeable and able to answer any legal question I have had. I know I can count on Ms. Potter for all of my business legal needs and I would highly recommend her to anyone needing legal assistance with such.

Jillian Client Review August 28, 2020

<< Prev
Next >>

Where We Are

Ashland

ASHLAND
1620 Carter Avenue
Ashland, KY 41101-7631
Phone: (606) 324-5516
Fax: (606) 324-4766

Charlotte

CHARLOTTE
15720 Brixham Hill Avenue
Suite 300,
Charlotte, NC 28277
Phone: (704) 944-3245

Huntersville

HUNTERSVILLE
11330 Vanstory Drive
Huntersville, NC 28078
Phone: (704) 944-3245

Northern Kentucky

NORTHERN KENTUCKY
7310 Turfway Road
Suite 550,
Florence, KY 41042
Phone: (859) 372-6655

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Map/Location

potter_sidbr_map
potter law logo
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT