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26 Jun, 2024 by Kj kelly jones
12 Aug, 2023 by L s
10 May, 2023 by Kirsten izatt
08 Jun, 2024 by Matt saba
I hired Michelle to help with some legal obligations. She was a great listener and provided me with different potential solutions. She guided me through the process and was happy to answer any/all questions along the way. I was happy with the outcome and would certainly recommend giving Michelle a chance to earn your business.
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08 Jun, 2024 by Kalli jones
I retained Michelle after consulting with 3 different law firms. Michelle made me feel comfortable talking about an uncomfortable situation and had ideas/advice that I had not thought of. She also explained everything in terms that I understood. Fabulous experience and I’d highly recommend to my family and friends!
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02 Jun, 2024 by Rick barth
Michelle is the best. Her knowledge of "situations" is beyond comparable. The firms experience in all matters will give you a feeling of ease. You will know from the beginning that "all things are being handled efficiently and professionally".
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18 Feb, 2023 by Christopher ingle
I was opposing counsel on a civil matter. These guys were a pleasure to work with.
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19 Aug, 2022 by Ashley ryan
I couldn't be more impressed with Jay from the Hall Underwood Law Firm. My husband had asked a question on AVVO regarding a situation we were dealing with with and Jay responded very quickly and offered a consultation. We knew immediately after speaking with Jay that we would hire him to help us with our legal situation. Jay always had our best interest in mind and was also very upfront to set expectations through our legal battle which was much appreciated. He was always incredibly quick to respond to our emails which made communication a breeze. It is so hard to find and attorney you can trust that actually cares for you. We can't thank you enough Jay for everything you did for our us. If you're looking for a family law attorney please contact the Hall Underwood Law Firm.
The Cole's
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22 Jun, 2022 by Erica jordan
Attorney Jay Hall took my call as an unscheduled appointment and talked with me about my case, helped me navigate a few potential obstacles and I feel much more prepared to make sure I get my rights heard as well. Thank you Jay, I will recommend you to others.
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30 Oct, 2023 by Adara rutledge
I want to thank William for his amazing effort of going above and beyond for me! He truly deserves more than 5 stars. Best lawyer is town! 🙌
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12 May, 2023 by Douglas schwimer
William was recommended to me by a trusted friend. After speaking to William for only a few minutes, it became apparent that I was speaking to a great lawyer. Not only is William a great attorney, he is great person and cares about people at a deep level. He was patient and gave me much more of his time than he needed to and took this time out of his evening to answer any questions I had. He talked to me as a friend, not a number. If you're ever in need, turn to William!
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09 Jul, 2022 by Becca barhorst
Thank you! The best Attoney! I could not have won my case without you! Very professional, positive, keeps you informs, and responses right away!
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30 Oct, 2023 by Adara rutledge
I want to thank William for his amazing effort of going above and beyond for me! He truly deserves more than 5 stars. Best lawyer is town! 🙌
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12 May, 2023 by Douglas schwimer
William was recommended to me by a trusted friend. After speaking to William for only a few minutes, it became apparent that I was speaking to a great lawyer. Not only is William a great attorney, he is great person and cares about people at a deep level. He was patient and gave me much more of his time than he needed to and took this time out of his evening to answer any questions I had. He talked to me as a friend, not a number. If you're ever in need, turn to William!
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09 Jul, 2022 by Becca barhorst
Thank you! The best Attoney! I could not have won my case without you! Very professional, positive, keeps you informs, and responses right away!
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15 Sep, 2021 by Andrew
Joseph was a great attorney, he explained the whole process completely. Mr. Kirshy understands how it is being a father and wanting what’s best for your children. He completely changed my life as I now have a lot more time with my children. Definitely recommend
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03 Aug, 2021 by Nedra
I had an issue with my husband's greedy heirs and needed legal counsel. In my search for representation I talked to no less than 6 firms. Joseph T. Kirshy of Owens Perkins was the only attorney who actually listened to me. My search was arduous but I kept coming back to Owens Perkins and Mr. Kirshy and he always took my calls.
The thing to know is that he never charged me for a consultation or the advise he gave me. I did ask him, "how do I pay you?" He told me that, based on the information that I had given him on our calls, I was covered and that there was no need for me to spend my money, at this critical time, on attorney fees. Truly Astounding, Extraordinary and down-right Exceptional!
I did not need to retain his services but if I ever do or know of anyone who needs to I would make only one recommendation, Owens Perkins and Joseph T. Kirshy.
Sincerely
Nedra Eldridge
President- Eldridge Construction Management, Inc.
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27 Jul, 2021 by Lisa
Beyond kind, patient and very thorough… I had questions and they were all answered. This team made me feel like I was important, took my calls anytime I made them and followed up more than I expected!
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03 Jul, 2024 by Anonymous
Attorney is atrocious. He fails to file documents, bills $400 an hour and does incomplete work.
He failed to serve all parties.
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04 Jun, 2021 by Katherine
I have worked with the Mazza Law office and Bri Niro several times. I find that they are very responsive to any questions and concerns that you may have and always ask for feedback regarding decisions to be made in the case. I have recommended Mazza to several people and will continue to refer and retain Mazza for any matters I have in the future. I am a licensed fiduciary so I often have a need for an elder law attorney.
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20 Jul, 2020 by Anonymous
Danny and his group are amazing! He has been a great help for what needed to be done with the trust. I couldn't have gone through this without his help. Erin is just as awesome and always there to help out. I highly recommend Mazza Law.
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17 Nov, 2023 by P&l
It took us years to finish writing our trust and will. Marilee was the most patient person ever in holding our hand, understanding how emotionally draining this can be, and allowed us to take the time needed to complete this arduous process. She asked pertinent questions, gave us answers to our questions and walked us through the process. We would recommend her to anyone!
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08 Dec, 2022 by Anonymous
My experience with Marilee Miller Clarke, Attorney, outside of the church context I knew her in, was not what I expected. I found her approach litigious rather than mediating. What I thought was a firm quote based on an email, turned out not to be. She reduced her bill to $2,005 instead of the $800 quoted me in an email. When I questioned her fee, I received no apology, but self-justification. Mistakes I pointed out involved omissions on her part, tone, typos from her and her staff, introducing an error, and unnecessary complexities. She charged me for her time involving those changes even though I pointed out that they were her or her staff’s mistakes. She drew a legal document to correct the work of another attorney. I can only hope that it will serve its purpose if and when needed.
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04 Oct, 2016 by Concerned grandmother
I recommend Marilee Miller Clarke without reservation.
Her knowledge of the law, and years of experience Practicing law in Arizona were a clear advantage to us in the legal action she helped us with. In the beginning, she explained many aspects of the legal proceedings that were not clear to us, and help us come to a strategy for proceeding. She is patient and thorough, but she will not run up the bill by speaking at length with you if she has what she needs to do the work. She answers all communications promptly, and you should be prepared to do the same for her as she has a very strong work ethic and you do not want to slow her down.
She is a strong strategic thinker, and helped us achieve our goals. In a dissolution case with contested child custody, she was able to achieve a win, in spite of many obstacles and prejudices which do not favor a win for the father. She is an excellent communicator, both written and spoken. For written court documents, she leaves no detail unattended. Her Courtroom demeanor is thorough, respectful and effective. She has an amazing ability to think quickly on her feet and adjust strategy quickly when required.
We are so grateful to her and her very professional staff, for all they have done to help our family. We hope we are done with legal stuff for now, but if not, we would rely on her in the future.
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03 May, 2024 by Kathy
Greg McGill has done an excellent job representing us. He is very knowledgeable in the law, patient, kind and puts up with a lot of unnecessary emails from me. Would use his firm again.
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11 Sep, 2023 by Ccsconnor
Helped my good friend Jorge de Guzmán.
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19 Jul, 2023 by Lorie close
Gregory, did get back with me but, was hoping for a free consultation . His fees were a little bit more than I could handle at this time . Also Looking for some information on this law firm. Last post was 3 years ago. Couldn't find any recent activity.
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18 Jul, 2023 by Jasmine sarceeman
Quick to bill you but doesn’t provide proper solutions nor does she fight for your rights. The communication is nonexistent until the day of court and doesn’t give any legal advice before hand. A very sloppy and inconsistent lawyer.
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30 May, 2022 by Al moreno
30 Mar, 2022 by Alex yu
Mrs. Hope is a very clam and professional attorney. I trusted her.
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05 May, 2017 by Anonymous
Kip had a minor disadvantage in my case, he was hired approx. 45 days prior to my trial date . Another member of the same firm was the primary reason why I had to make a drastic change in the final hour . This particular lawyer did nothing for my case would constantly cancel appointments with me most of which would of been telephonic and refused to respond to emails or voice mail messages.
That said if he couldn't prepare himself for the trial, he should not of accepted the case. His lack of dedication and preparation for my case in particular created much hardship for me . My credibility was questioned over a very basic mistake on his part. Documents I sent to the firm with proof that they were received were never forwarded over to opposing firm. In fact even after the trial and the verdict was handed down, he was in receipt of a very simple agreement between the mother and I and he advised me that she was not in agreement and responded to me with in 8 minutes of receiving the email and its my opinion he never bothered to read the agreement which now I am stuck dealing with the ramifications of this . It has created a whirlwind spin on a relation that the mother and I were trying to salvage some how . I filed a motion based on his recommendation, motion was denied by the courts, in fact the courts came down heavy and hard on me for this . In typical Kip fashion he refused to accept any fault on this. If he would of actually took the time to read the agreement, he so generously charged me to read, this would of all been avoided.
If you are looking to have your case put on the back burner, be over charged and are looking to hire lawyers with lack of care or knowledge about your case or your family THEN YES HIRE THIS FIRM. they greatly do care about money, their money that is.
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29 Sep, 2016 by Ruby
I, would gladly share my experience, as a former client of Kip Micuda. For one thing, I must admit, am not fond of lawyers, as a general rule. However, I am pleased to write this comment on Kip Micuda Esq. I needed some legal advice & support, regarding a personal matter. The law firm of Hildebrand Law was referred by a friend. Not knowing who I 'll discuss my situation with, I went with an open mind. Mr. Kip Micuda, met me in their conference room. He came across as very personable and professional (I am an M.D. as well) was very glad that after I laid my problems, he showed empathy, & understanding . He laid down my legal options and possible consequences of each. Aside from making me feel comfortable, his knowledge & professionalism regarding my case was obvious. With his guidance, I made my legal decisions as to how to approach my case. After he had written letters on my behalf, he followed up with me as to how matters were going. I am pleased & grateful for his empathy, knowledge & professionalism regarding my case. It was a pleasure being a client of Kip Micuda Esq.
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27 Sep, 2016 by Tara
I made the right decision to hire Kip Micuda at Hildebrand Law. I interviewed several lawyers before hiring Kip. Kip and his staff are well organized. Their organization and approach to the case helped me figure out what needed to be done. Kip was very supportive and he approached the issue logically. He also did a great job at aptly protecting me from the accusations made by my ex's attorneys. Kip has the experience, knowledge and skill set to represent well. I highly recommend him.
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06 Apr, 2024 by Alfred hinkle
Excellent service. Great attorney
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08 Dec, 2023 by Jennifer doliveira
Emily Kile is a wonderful Estate Attorney. She has done our trust for us twice and we couldn't be happier. She is thorough and professional. He staff is very professional and knowledgeable as well.
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07 Sep, 2023 by Shari smith
Emily Kiley is so kind and compassionate. She was able to explain the law and documents in a way we could understand. We can not say enough good things about her. I highly recommend her for all your estate planning advice.
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18 Mar, 2016 by Donna volden
I hired Mr. Martinez to help me in an estate issue. He charged me $500 for a demand letter. I was satisfied with the letter, but we didn't get the response from the other party that we needed and so we needed to move forward. He told me to set up and prepay for a phone consultation, which I did.
The consultation was to determine next steps and if we should proceed. We decided to proceed. After the call he informed me that his schedule was busy for the next month and we would proceed the next month. I waited patiently, then emailed him/called and didnt hear back. He finally reached out to me a few weeks later to tell me that he was too busy for my case. I feel mislead and never would have spent the additional $275 for a call to discuss next options. His response was that he had answered an additional email prior to the call. I spent almost $800 to bring Mr. Martinez up to speed on my case only to have to do it again with another lawyer. His point was that I was satisfied with the results of the call, so I got what I paid for. I was only satisfied with the call because we had agreed to proceed. Had I known he was too busy to take the case, I never would have proceeded with the first demand letter. I assumed part of the $500 was for him to be come familiar with the case. I am very disappointed with his lack of professionalism. There were a few red flags, that I shouldn't have ignored.
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22 Dec, 2015 by Chris
We dealt with Mr Martinez for 3 years on a real estate contract between relatives. His patience and professionalism in handling this fiasco was beyond reproach considering opposing counsel and his client were anything but cooperative or professional. Not only did he keep us informed, but listened to our concerns, answered our never ending questions and met me at the airport when I had to come to AZ to take possession of the property. Without him I know this mess would not have finally been settled. I would highly recommend Mr Martinez to anyone wanting to deal with an attorney who will work hard for you and not look at a client as a dollar sign.
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17 Jul, 2015 by Anonymous
Adam responded in a timely manner and provided me with all of the information that I needed. Should I decide to go forward with my case I will definitely hire him.
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16 Nov, 2023 by Martha fait
09 Mar, 2023 by Far bas
I called this company to do my taxes. The owner Marcie was so unprofessional. She hung out the phone on me. I thought it was disconnected. I called her back and she admitted that she hanged out the phone. For no reason.
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04 Dec, 2022 by Tami harris
The most professional and efficient law firm that I have ever dealt with.
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22 Jan, 2024 by Patricia
Andrew and his team are very professional. He came highly recommended by several top doctors in Arizona. His team was very thorough and gives you a great estate planning product in the end. This is his area of expertise and you don't have to have millions to get a well planned estate. Great attorney who knows trust and wills!
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30 Nov, 2023 by Michael
I was very impressed with the ease of setting up my Trust. I met with Andrew via zoom, all docs were reviewed and submitted, dates scheduled to sign, the hardest part was deciding who gets what. I was very pleased with Andrew and his office performance.
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01 Jul, 2022 by Laura
I had been in communication with Andrew regarding an issue and we spoke on the phone and exchanged several emails about the next steps. Then he stopped communicating, all together. I reached out multiple times and he failed to call me back. Very unprofessional. I have MetLife Legal Plans in which they will pay upon completion, if that was going to be a problem for Andrew, he never indicated that to begin with.
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01 Apr, 2024 by John
Terrible attorney who should have her bar license revoked. No way to get in touch with her as nobody answers the phone or their email accounts.
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27 Jun, 2012 by Jessica
Allyson did a great job of helping us prepare our estate planning documents. She was very good at explaining legal concepts so that we knew what we were doing and didn't get lost in the jargon. She kept us focused, and she and her staff followed up to make sure that we funded our trust and made all of the changes accurately.
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18 Feb, 2023 by Christopher ingle
I was opposing counsel on a civil matter. These guys were a pleasure to work with.
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19 Aug, 2022 by Ashley ryan
I couldn't be more impressed with Jay from the Hall Underwood Law Firm. My husband had asked a question on AVVO regarding a situation we were dealing with with and Jay responded very quickly and offered a consultation. We knew immediately after speaking with Jay that we would hire him to help us with our legal situation. Jay always had our best interest in mind and was also very upfront to set expectations through our legal battle which was much appreciated. He was always incredibly quick to respond to our emails which made communication a breeze. It is so hard to find and attorney you can trust that actually cares for you. We can't thank you enough Jay for everything you did for our us. If you're looking for a family law attorney please contact the Hall Underwood Law Firm.
The Cole's
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22 Jun, 2022 by Erica jordan
Attorney Jay Hall took my call as an unscheduled appointment and talked with me about my case, helped me navigate a few potential obstacles and I feel much more prepared to make sure I get my rights heard as well. Thank you Jay, I will recommend you to others.
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02 May, 2019 by Jack
Perhaps Mr.Dolasinski and myself had a misunderstanding of what our needs were regarding our original trust. I was probably a little to critical of Mr. Dolasinski. Mr. Dolasinski wrote me back explaining what needed to be done. After reviewing his notes I do believe his assessment of what the actual cost would be are still to high. I would think since he is the individual who wrote our trust we would be give some consideration on the actual cost. The Health Care Power of Attorney and the Financial Power of Attorney
In my estimation, to have his para legal do this work still would not require the amount of time he suggested. There still is only a couple of lines to be changed on these documents. In my opinion, I could see no more than 3 hours or less to perform these changes. I believe the total cost should be 3 hours or less. The top end of the actual cost should be $750 or less.
Mr. Dolasinski is a capable professional and my review should not prevent clients from hiring him as a Trust Attorney. I am optimistic that we can come to a reasonable solution to take care of our trust.
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16 Sep, 2020 by Amy
Unfortunately, I would not recommend hiring Ivy L. Kushner for your Family Law case. This past year was by far the most difficult and demanding year of my life. I hired Ms. Kushner to represent me in a custody case that I was subjected to.
From day one Ms. Kushner appeared to be professional, compassionate and trustworthy. She listened to my case details and appeared to have a real understanding of what I would be up against. She also took the initiative to come to my house for our initial consultation. After a few weeks, and once the retainer fee had been cleared, it was clear to me that her only interest was to settle the case and not provide services that was in the best interest for me and my daughter.
During the original conference, the topic of back child support came up. As I had already provided her with the calculations and breakdown of how much was owed, she was more than aware that back child support was due. When the topic was brought up in the meeting, she asked my ex and his attorney to leave the room. She then turned to me and said, “sit down, and shut up.”
I am still in disbelief of the lack of professionalism displayed from that comment. Those words have stuck with me to this day. It made an already difficult situation that much worse.
I was extremely open with her about the domestic abuse that occurred throughout the relationship, which ultimately left me with no choice but to move my daughter and myself out of the toxic environment. However, she completely disregarded it. With this understanding, greater detail should have been put into place to protect not only myself, but my daughter as well.
Due to the abundance of mistakes throughout the document and severe lack of attention to detail, it not only has caused significant issues, but the financial burden it has caused in order to fix the document is incomparable.
I felt forced to sign a document that I clearly was not comfortable with. I presented Ms. Kushner with a red line document highlighting everything that I did not agree to. Rather than taking the time to address my concerns, it was clear the main objective was to close the case and move on. I understand there is an emotional barrier that occurs over the years in this profession, however the outcome not only effect the next 13 years of my daughter’s life, it effects my life every single day. I do not believe she had our best interest in mind.
I am now finding myself going through this extremely difficult and stressful situation once again to correct the mistakes.
I hired Ms. Kushner because I do not know the law and needed guidance on the legal aspects of my case. I hold a high level of expectation for someone with her level of experience, both ethically and professionally – I feel as though I did not receive either.
I just wanted to take a moment to provide feedback from my experience because I do not want this to happen to another single mom.
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15 Feb, 2017 by Anonymous
Horrible lawyer. He is a bully! He absolutely did nothing. He should not be practicing in family law. I tried several times to try and get a hold of him during my case.
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18 May, 2015 by Barbara
My husband's conservator, the firm of Fiduciary Solutions, is awful. She represents them and both my husband and I live in the State of Georgia. She in Arizona constantly files bogus court documents, has spread vicious rumors about me the wife, and has never responded to any calls or e-mails, She does talk to my husband's ex-wife and totally believes the ex who has no contact with us in years. She is young and not very savvy. Horrible service to the "ward" who is ill and doesn't even live in Arizona.
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23 Jul, 2015 by Dylan
Took far too long to settle after documentation had been approved. No communication, short answers, one sided-ness. Billed month after month for in house billing, during that time I had zero communication from attorney.
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21 Nov, 2013 by Anonymous
Allyson was responsible for planning my father's estate and trust. It was a mess. She had him leave an inherited IRA within the trust - after talking to tax attorneys I found out that this is a big problem as it was for me... She knew for 59 days that they needed to send letters to known creditors but didn't ask for the death certificate until the day that the letters were suppose to go out. She won't let you know that there are things that you can do yourself, she would rather have the paralegals bill over $250 an hour to carry out simple things like mailing multiple copies of documents to beneficiaries. She could provide a simple list of things that the trustee could carry out if they wanted to preserve assets - or that they could do for you if you have cash to burn - but she is just in it to get the most she can from the estate. Stay away.
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers
What an Estate Planning Lawyer Can Do for You
An estate planning lawyer helps individuals plan for the management and distribution of their assets after death or during incapacitation. Their services involve drafting important legal documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. Estate planning attorneys work to ensure that your assets are transferred according to your wishes, minimize tax liabilities, and avoid probate court. They also help clients plan for potential long-term care needs and protect their estate from being diminished by healthcare costs.
By working with an estate planning lawyer, you can have peace of mind knowing that your loved ones will be cared for and that your estate will be managed efficiently and according to your desires.
When Should I Hire an Estate Planning Lawyer?
Hiring an estate planning lawyer is beneficial in many situations, especially when you want to ensure that your assets are handled properly after death. Common reasons to hire an estate planning lawyer include:
- Drafting a will: If you want to clearly define how your assets will be distributed after death, an attorney can draft a legally sound will.
- Creating a trust: For those looking to avoid probate or provide for loved ones over time, setting up a trust can help manage the distribution of assets.
- Planning for incapacity: An estate lawyer can help draft powers of attorney and healthcare directives so that your financial and medical decisions are made by someone you trust if you become incapacitated.
- Minimizing estate taxes: If your estate is large, a lawyer can help create strategies to reduce or eliminate federal and state estate taxes.
- Special circumstances: If you have minor children, blended families, or complex assets like businesses, an estate planning lawyer can create tailored solutions.
- Guardianship or conservatorship: If you want to designate guardians for minor children or ensure proper care for incapacitated adults, an attorney can help.
Hiring an estate planning lawyer is especially important if your estate is complex or if you want to ensure that your wishes are properly followed.
What Does an Estate Planning Lawyer Do?
An estate planning lawyer provides a range of services designed to help you organize your affairs and ensure your estate is managed according to your wishes. They can:
- Draft wills and trusts: Creating legally binding documents that dictate how your assets will be distributed and managed.
- Create powers of attorney and healthcare directives: Appointing someone to make financial or medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated.
- Minimize taxes: Developing strategies to reduce estate taxes, gift taxes, and other financial liabilities for your heirs.
- Help avoid probate: Structuring your estate plan to avoid probate, which can save time and money for your beneficiaries.
- Advise on long-term care planning: Helping you plan for potential healthcare needs in the future, including Medicaid planning and protecting assets from being depleted by nursing home costs.
- Assist with beneficiary designations: Ensuring that life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other financial instruments are correctly designated.
- Handle probate and estate administration: If a loved one has passed away, an estate planning lawyer can help guide you through the probate process or act as an executor.
How Are Estate Planning Lawyers Paid?
Estate planning lawyers typically charge for their services in one of several ways, depending on the complexity of your estate and the type of services you need. Common payment structures include:
- Flat fee: Many estate planning services, such as drafting a will or trust, are charged on a flat-fee basis. The fee covers all work related to preparing the document.
- Hourly rate: For more complex planning, such as estate tax strategy or trust administration, lawyers may charge by the hour. Rates vary based on the lawyer’s experience and location.
- Retainer: Some lawyers require a retainer for more complex cases, such as ongoing trust management or estate administration. The retainer is an upfront payment that covers future legal services.
It’s important to discuss fees with your lawyer upfront to avoid unexpected costs.
How Much Does an Estate Planning Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring an estate planning lawyer depends on the complexity of your estate and the services you require. Here are some general guidelines:
- Simple wills or powers of attorney: A straightforward will or power of attorney may cost between $300 and $1,500, depending on your location and the lawyer’s experience.
- Trust creation: Establishing a trust, such as a living trust or revocable trust, can cost between $1,000 and $3,000 or more, depending on the complexity of your assets and estate planning needs.
- Comprehensive estate planning packages: Some lawyers offer packages that include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, which may range from $2,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on the estate’s complexity.
- Hourly rates: For ongoing services like estate administration or tax planning, lawyers may charge hourly rates ranging from $150 to $500 or more, depending on the lawyer’s experience.
Always get a clear estimate of costs during your initial consultation to ensure the services fit within your budget.
Top Questions to Ask an Estate Planning Lawyer
Before hiring an estate planning lawyer, it’s important to ask questions to ensure they are the right fit for your needs. Here are key questions to ask during your consultation:
-
What is your experience with estate planning?
Ensure the lawyer has substantial experience drafting wills, creating trusts, and handling other estate planning services. -
How will you charge for your services?
Clarify whether the lawyer charges a flat fee or by the hour and ask for a detailed estimate of costs. -
What strategies do you recommend for my estate?
A good lawyer should be able to explain the best strategies for minimizing taxes, avoiding probate, and ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes. -
How often should I update my estate plan?
Ask how frequently you should revisit your estate plan, especially if your financial situation or family dynamics change. -
Do you offer ongoing support or updates?
Some lawyers provide periodic reviews or updates to ensure your estate plan stays current with changes in your circumstances or the law. -
How will you help my beneficiaries if something happens to me?
Ensure the lawyer is willing to guide your heirs through the estate administration process or help manage your trust after you’re gone.
How to Check the Credibility of an Estate Planning Lawyer
To ensure you’re hiring a credible estate planning lawyer, follow these steps:
- Verify their state bar license: Check with your state bar association to confirm that the lawyer is licensed and in good standing, with no history of disciplinary actions.
- Look for estate planning certifications: Some lawyers are certified as estate planning specialists, which indicates they have extensive knowledge in this area of law.
- Read client reviews and testimonials: Online reviews on sites like Avvo, Google, or Martindale-Hubbell can provide insight into the lawyer’s professionalism and client satisfaction.
- Ask for references: A credible lawyer should be able to provide references from previous clients who can speak to their expertise and client service.
- Check for membership in professional organizations: Lawyers who are members of organizations like the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) or the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) often have a strong reputation in the field.
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To get the most out of your first meeting with an estate planning lawyer, it’s important to come prepared. Here’s what you should bring:
- List of assets and liabilities: Provide a detailed inventory of your assets, including real estate, bank accounts, retirement funds, investments, and personal property, as well as any debts you may have.
- List of beneficiaries: Be ready to discuss who you want to receive your assets and in what proportions. This includes naming guardians for minor children if applicable.
- Existing estate documents: Bring copies of any existing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, or other relevant estate planning documents.
- Questions about your estate goals: Write down your goals, such as avoiding probate, reducing taxes, or setting up charitable donations, so your lawyer can tailor a plan to meet your needs.
- Information on medical and financial decision-makers: Be prepared to discuss who you want to appoint for healthcare and financial decisions if you become incapacitated.
By being well-prepared, you can ensure a productive consultation and begin building a comprehensive estate plan that meets your needs and protects your loved ones.
