If you have read previous articles, you’ve probably noticed our tendency to end articles the following way: if you would like more information on wills, trust or other estate planning options, please contact a qualified estate planning attorney.
Considering our readers are interested in estate planning, and are visiting a website dedicated to estate planning, it seems silly to include this statement. So, why do we do it?
We do it because a great many people see attorneys as being interchangeable. According to fictional television, any attorney can successfully represent themselves in a law suit, or defend a friend in a criminal case. As nice as that would be, it just isn’t true. There are too many areas of law. No attorney is qualified to give advice on all matters.
A personal injury attorney might work wonders for you should someone’s negligence cause serious harm. A family attorney might help mediate your divorce. And a litigating attorney might represent you once it’s discovered one of the aforementioned attorneys ruined your mom’s will and trust, while you as sole heir are left to pay a fortune in taxes and probate costs.
Breathe easy … that was just a clever illustration meant to make a not so subtle point. Kind of like this one …
You wouldn’t hire your dentist to perform foot surgery any more than you would hire your radiologist to perform plastic surgery. Therefore, you shouldn’t seek estate planning advice from your divorce attorney, any more than you should seek divorce advice from your estate planning attorney.
Choosing the right professional for the right job tends to lead to achieving the right result.
As always, if you would like more information about wills, trusts or other estate planning options … you know what to do.
