Leading Estate Planning Attorney Rory Clark Urges Caution When Choosing A Probate or Trust Administration Lawyer – Leesburg, VA

Top Estate Planning Lawyer Rory Clark founder of The Legacy Elder Law Center in Leesburg, VA suggests to take caution when selecting the right probate attorney. For more information please visit https://legacyelderlaw.com

Leesburg, VA, United States – January 21, 2022 /MM-REB/ —

Caution should be the watchword when selecting the right probate attorney, advises Northern Virginia, VA-based estate planning lawyer Rory Clark.

For more information please visit https://legacyelderlaw.com

The founder of The Legacy Elder Law Center rightly suggests choosing an attorney who practices exclusively in estate planning, trust and probate law as they’ll essentially know what they’re doing.

He further advised: “Anyone who is licensed to practice law in the relevant state can act as your legal representative during probate or trust administration. However, it’s essential to choose someone who knows the specifics of probate and trust administration. The practice of law is similar to the practice of medicine; it’s become very specialized.

“You want to know if an attorney has experience in estate planning, trusts and probate law, and this is where they dedicate their time. Because they will be the ones to offer competent legal advice and help navigate a client through the complicated probate and trust administration process.”

When assessing a probate attorney, he advises questioning them closely and whether they are skilled in dealing with issues arising from trust administration and taxes after someone has passed.

Establishing a timeframe to resolve a probate case is also crucial, with Clark adding: “If an attorney is vague and cannot provide an answer, be wary as they might try to drag it out and overcharge you.

“There’s no question probate and trust administrations can be both costly and lengthy. But a competent probate and trust
attorney should be able to give you a timeframe as to how long your case may take having reviewed your estate.”

Understanding a law firm’s communication skills should also be high on the list of must-knows. Clark said: “Communication should be a priority, but some offices might leave questions unanswered for days. The best answer them quickly.”

He added that being aware of how a probate or trust lawyer charges for services will also help in the long run, “It’s important to be up front and direct about fees to ensure you won’t be surprised at a later date. A competent and experienced law firm
will be able to quickly explain to you how much your administration should cost.”

“Establish whether a lawyer charges a flat fee, by the hour, or on a sliding-scale basis. Be sure to ask whether or not there’s the possibility of other fees or costs being tacked on.”

Clark cautions that while an hourly rate might seem like the least expensive way to go, the client is really engaging the lawyer on an open-ended project where the lawyer alone decides how long the project will last. By the same token, flat fees can also be inflated by the lawyer.

Charging an overly-high flat fee is one way lawyers make sure they don’t get stuck in an unprofitable administration. Because there is a customary standard for the cost administering a trust or estate that is based on a sliding scale formula, a great way to make sure you don’t get over-charged is to look for a lawyer who charges based on that same court-accepted, customary sliding scale basis.”

Contact Info:
Name: Rory Clark
Email: Send Email
Organization: The Legacy Elder Law Center
Address: Market Station, 108 South Street, SE, Suite E, Leesburg, VA 20175
Phone: 703-988-7975
Website: https://legacyelderlaw.com

Source: MM-REB

Release ID: 89059423