What questions should you discuss with an Estate Planning Attorney?

People often go to estate planning attorneys when someone in their family has major health changes or has passed away.   There are many issues to go over with a competent estate planning attorney.

1.  What are the documents that I need to bring to the attorney’s office to obtain a proper consultation?   If you come to an attorney unprepared, you simply do not get the best use of your time with that attorney.   Being proactive means coming in with documents and questions.
2. What options and alternatives are available to me in the estate planning area?  Your attorney will discuss with you, various options and their possible results.  For example, part of estate planning may involve use of alternative tactics.  Alternative tactics may include POD accounts, or joint tenancy accounts. However, each alternative can impact the end result of your estate plan and should be considered in light of the ultimate goals of your plan.
3. What happens to my estate plan, if I become incapacitated?  A competent estate planning lawyer should be able to talk to you about how incapacity may affect your plan.   For example: A) How do you get a successor trustee appointed, if you are incapacitated.  B) Who can remove or replace your successor trustee, if you can’t do it yourself.
4. What should be a good cause for your beneficiaries to remove the successor trustee you named?  You can set certain standards of conduct for your trustee in your trust instrument.

Talk to us about your estate planning questions.  Estate Planning Attorney, Evan Sirkin can respond to your questions.  Call our estate lawyers at 818.340.4479 or email Info@SirkinLaw.com.