Life arrives with a certain series of challenges following a loved one’s death. But it should not be one of them to haggle over property or assets.
Hiring a probate lawyer will help prevent many of the complications involved with proving a will. In their dying days, it also gives ailing family members a feeling of calm.
If you’re sold on the thought of hiring a probate lawyer to support you in the will or probate process, but you’re not sure how to hire the right lawyer, this article is for you! Before you search for ‘probate attorneys near me’, here is how you should interview potential attorneys.
How to Interview the Probate Lawyer?
When you first sit down with a lawyer who you’re serious about recruiting, make it plain upfront that before you hire one for the estate job, you intend to speak to multiple attorneys. Before you venture through the particulars of a probate court case, first continue to ask those questions. A lawyer who has handled a lot of probates can presume you’re on board and start asking you for papers and documents quickly. You can also search “wills attorney near me” to locate a knowledgeable lawyer around your location.
Here are some questions that you may like to ask:
- How many trials of probate have you managed?
- Do you charge a flat fee for the hour or some other way?
- Do legal assistants in your office, at a lower hourly wage, do more of the work?
- Are you able to work with me if I try to do any of the probate work myself, to hold fees down?
- Will you prepare the dead person’s and the estate’s final tax returns?
- How long would it take, approximately, to go through probate?
- How much do you expect it would cost?
You will need to worry about state or federal estate tax if you’re handling an incredibly big estate worth millions. And if it is appropriate to file state or federal land tax reports, you just want to make sure that you are recruiting someone with a special experience. Ask regarding these taxes basic issues, including:
- Will you file them if state or federal estate tax returns are necessary?
- How many tax returns on land have you prepared?
Who You Should Hire?
It does take more than legal expertise to have a good working relationship with a lawyer. So pay attention to how well the lawyer describes the procedure, how well the questions are listened to by the lawyer, and how polite the lawyer is. You must hire someone who:
- Communicates straightforwardly. Many attorneys just don’t want to talk in simple English. They will say many technical things that you don’t understand. Look elsewhere if you can’t grasp what the prosecutor is talking about and don’t get clear explanations when you inquire for clarity.
- Your attempts to educate yourself are appreciated. You like a prosecutor who can collaborate professionally as you do your best to think about your duties as an executor and maybe do some of the work yourself to save on costs.
Finally, don’t just simply hire after one interview. See at least two or three-person before hiring!
