Much of this is state specific. If you own a business or have property out of state, your estate planning necessarily will be more complex. Blended families, special needs trusts, etc. require additional care.
It's best to hire an attorney who has some experience litigating disputes over wills and trust, not just drafting the documents. ACTEC membership isn't mandatory, but it's a pretty good seal of approval.
Also, make sure your trust gets funded. Consider either paying your attorney's paralegal or support staff to do it for you or get clear guidance on what you have to do to retitle things and get everything into the trust. Even if you do the work of funding the trust yourself, set a deadline of a month or two and a brief follow up meeting with your attorney or his/her team to make sure everything gets done. Otherwise you have an expensive piece of paper that accomplishes very little.
It's best to hire an attorney who has some experience litigating disputes over wills and trust, not just drafting the documents. ACTEC membership isn't mandatory, but it's a pretty good seal of approval.
Also, make sure your trust gets funded. Consider either paying your attorney's paralegal or support staff to do it for you or get clear guidance on what you have to do to retitle things and get everything into the trust. Even if you do the work of funding the trust yourself, set a deadline of a month or two and a brief follow up meeting with your attorney or his/her team to make sure everything gets done. Otherwise you have an expensive piece of paper that accomplishes very little.
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