Estate planning can feel overwhelming. It is hard to think about the future, and with so many different decisions to make and choices to consider, it can be difficult to know where to begin. It is important to find the right estate planning attorney for you and your situation. Once you find an attorney, your first step will be an initial consultation, which is a meeting for your attorney to get a better understanding of you and your estate planning needs. This can feel intimidating. You may find yourself wondering what your attorney will ask you, what you should bring with you, and so on. To ease the anxiety of estate planning, it may help to be educated about the process. Read on to learn more about your initial consultation with an estate planning attorney.
What Should I Bring to my Initial Consultation?
Everyone has a different situation, so everyone’s estate plan will be different. Your estate plan will depend upon your wishes, your finances, and your family dynamics, among other things. To help your attorney become more familiar with your needs, there are some documents you should bring with you.
You may want to consider bringing the following documents to your initial consultation with your estate planning attorney:
- Your financial statements (checking, savings, money market, brokerage, pension, IRA, etc.)
- Your most recent bank, investment, and retirement account statements
- The deed to your house
- Your previous estate planning documents, if you have any
- Prenuptial or postnuptial agreements
- Divorce agreements
- Business agreements.
- Copies of your retirement plan
- Copies of your life insurance policy
- Contact information of your doctors
- Contact information for family members
- An unofficial list of the people you may want to list as trustees, executors, health care agents, etc.
- A list of your estate planning goals
- A list of any questions you have for your estate planning attorney
You won’t have all of these documents, so determine which ones are relevant to you. If you have any questions about what documents to bring, how to access them, and what to do if you are missing any of them, you should contact your estate planning attorney for advice.
If you are ready to begin the estate planning process, reach out to our firm today. We are here to make the process as easy as possible so you can feel confident about your future.
Contact our Firm
The Lauterbach Law Firm is proud to serve clients throughout Rockland County who are faced with legal matters related to estate planning, real estate, foreclosure defense, landlord-tenant law, business law, and criminal defense. If you require the services of an experienced team of attorneys, contact The Lauterbach Law Firm today to schedule a consultation.
