How to Choose the Right Estate Planning Attorney — and What to Ask Before You Hire One
If you've decided it's time to get your estate plan done, the next question is: who do you hire? A quick search will surface dozens of options — general practice attorneys who "do estate planning," online document services, solo practitioners, large firms. The choices can feel overwhelming, and it's hard to know what actually matters when you're comparing them.
Here's what I'd look for — and what I'd ask.
Look for Someone Who Focuses on Estate Planning
Estate planning is a specialty. An attorney who primarily handles divorces or personal injury cases and occasionally drafts a will is not the same as someone who works exclusively in this area. The law is nuanced, the documents are interconnected, and the stakes — your family's security — are too high for a generalist approach.
Look for an attorney whose practice is centered on estate planning, trusts, and related areas like powers of attorney and advance directives. If estate planning is a small part of what they do, keep looking.
Understand How They Charge
Most estate planning attorneys charge either by the hour or a flat fee. Flat fees are almost always better for clients — you know exactly what you're paying before you start, and you're not penalized for asking questions.
Ask upfront: is this a flat fee or hourly? What's included? Are there additional charges for funding the trust, for amendments later, or for follow-up questions? A transparent attorney will answer these questions clearly and without hesitation.
Ask How They Handle the Planning Conversation
There's a significant difference between an attorney who hands you a questionnaire and drafts documents based on your answers, and one who sits down with you to understand your actual life — your family dynamics, your assets, your concerns, your values — before recommending anything.
The first approach produces documents. The second produces a plan.
Ask: what does your process look like? How do you decide what documents I need? Will we talk through my specific situation before you recommend anything?
Find Out What Happens After You Sign
A trust that isn't funded is worthless. Documents that don't reflect your current life — after a move, a marriage, a divorce, a new child, a death in the family — can create more problems than they solve.
Ask: do you help with funding the trust after we sign? How do I update my plan if something changes? Will I hear from you after the plan is complete, or is it a one-time transaction?
The answer to these questions tells you a lot about whether you're hiring a document vendor or a long-term advisor.
Watch for These Red Flags
They can't give you a clear fee estimate upfront
They discourage questions or rush the process
They recommend the same plan for everyone without asking about your situation
They have no process for keeping your plan current over time
They treat estate planning as a transaction rather than a relationship
One More Thing: Trust Your Gut
You're going to share personal details about your family, your finances, and your wishes with this person. The legal competence matters — but so does whether you feel heard, respected, and comfortable asking questions. If something feels off in the initial consultation, pay attention to that.
A good estate planning attorney should make this process feel manageable, not intimidating. You should leave the first conversation feeling clearer, not more confused.
What to Expect When You Work With Laurel Law & Planning
At Laurel Law, every client relationship starts with a Life & Legacy Planning Session — a dedicated conversation where we look at what you have, what would happen to your family today if something happened to you, and what you want to do differently. No forms to fill out before we talk. No pressure to decide anything on the spot.
From there, we recommend a plan that actually fits your life — not a one-size-fits-all package. And we stay in your corner after the documents are signed, because your life will keep changing and your plan should too.
Book a Discovery Call to get started.