Making a will is one of the toughest and most important decisions one can take. Securing the future of your loved ones after your death is essential. And having skilled Sydney estate planning lawyers by your side can ensure that your will follows all the legal terms and is drafted rightfully. Even though some people think that they can draft their estate planning all by themselves with the help of online forms, it is not that easy. The online DIY will-making forms may look easier and simpler, but they won’t guarantee that this will follow the legal terms. And thus, hiring a will and estate planning attorney is necessary. So, does that mean that you can hire any estate planning lawyer for your will? Well, no. Since they all are different from each other, you should make sure that you are welcoming the right person on board. And here are the top 6 mistakes that you must avoid while hiring a lawyer for estate planning:
1.// Seeking online help:
Most of the time when people use online forms to draft a will and can’t determine if they have done it rightfully or not, they seek online help from lawyers. Well, it is not the proper way to do so. Consulting with one whom you do not know can be harmful and you may end up paying more than the fees an estate lawyer would charge.
2.// Hiring someone who charges hourly:
Even if your known ones have recommended that law firm to you, ensure that they do not charge hourly. In this way, you will end up paying more. But that does not mean that you should hire an attorney with cheap rates. Any lawyers offering services at an extremely low price are not a good fit, but a red flag.
3.// Not asking about periodic review:
Even though you make your will at a certain point in your life, changes can happen in your life and assets. And any slight changes can impact your will. Ask your lawyer whether they will review the changes in your life periodically or not. If not, then it would be best to look for another lawyer.
4.// Addressing only the obvious assets:
One of the most common mistakes we make while drafting a will is to focus on only the obvious assets, i.e., money and property. Securing the future of your children and other members doesn’t only mean giving them your money. Apart from your monetary assets, a good lawyer should also focus on your values and insights, which are more important to pass to your heirs.
5.// Accepting that lawyers are too busy to communicate:
No matter how reputed and well-known lawyers you have hired for making your will, you should not tolerate poor customer service from them. A good lawyer always prioritises all their clients, whether the case is small or big. And thus, it is a must for them to communicate with you. It is a red flag if you see that your attorney is always unreachable or takes more than 2-3 business days to get back to you.
6.// Hiring an attorney without checking their area of specialisation:
Maybe the attorney you are hiring is proficient and updated with legal terms, but that does not mean that s/he is specialised in estate planning. Thus, ask the team beforehand about their area of specialisation.
Bottom line,
Are you looking for professional Sydney estate planning lawyers for drafting your will? It is no more hard work since there are tonnes of them. And ensuring that the one you are hiring is the right one is tough. Well, we hope this blog post can help you with that.