Port Orange law office
Estate planning is an important activity for all of us, and one that’s especially important for the elderly. If you’re in Port Orange, Florida or in nearby areas like Volusia County or New Smyrna Beach and are on the lookout for a reliable and experienced lawyer, read on.
Finding the right lawyer
Working with a reputed attorney makes the process of estate planning significantly easier. An experienced lawyer like Debra G. Simms with the Simms Law Firm, who is a specialist in Elder law, can mean the difference between peace of mind for you and your loved ones, or reams of paperwork and legal tussles at a difficult time. You will need to do a bit of groundwork in shortlisting lawyers, but it will be well worth the effort.
Check for a Certified Lawyer
Not all lawyers or law firms are created alike. There are dozens of options for you in the Port Orange, Florida area, but some firms are better for you than others. Here’s how. Besides their basic law degree, attorneys who are specialists in the area of estate planning will typically have an additional certification or qualification in estate planning or related areas. For instance, lawyer Debra G. Simms in New Smyrna Beach is a Board Certified Elder Law Attorney and will understand the intricacies of this highly specialized area of the law.
Look at their portfolio of services
Estate planning has a range of different sub categories of services, so be sure your lawyer in Port Orange can do everything you need. Typical areas you will need help with include creating Living Wills, Guardianship related work, Probate, Medicaid Planning and Advanced Medical Directives, as well as putting together the legal documentation surrounding the creation and operation of Trusts.
Ask about additional services
There may come a time when you require some services beyond the basics. It helps to have someone you can reach out to for other help like mediation to settle any possible disputes or differences during the process of estate planning. The Simms Law Firm’s lawyer Debra G Simms is herself a Florida Bar Board Certified mediator as well as arbitrator.
Check credentials and reputation
With something as delicate and critical as Estate Planning, don’t just go by the qualifications of your attorney. Ask around and check to see if they have a good reputation in the area. One easy way to do this is to see if they are on any Bar Association committees as office bearers – this will tell you if they have the respect of their peers and are considered an expert in their area. Membership to various law associations, specifically Elder Law Attorney academies is a plus. Another way to check for their reputation is to see if they are on the panel for any big brand corporations and insurers.
Meet your lawyer
The ultimate test for which lawyer or law firm in Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach or Daytona or wherever you are, is right for you, is to actually met with them. Understand how they plan to handle your case, go over the basics and see if this is somebody you trust. No matter how good a lawyer is, unless you feel you can rely on them to make the best decisions for you and advise you properly, all the credentials in the world won’t mean much.
The unfortunate truth of life is that the unexpected can strike without warning. In that case, have you ever thought what will happen to your business that had taken you years to establish? If a proprietor has a sudden demise, the government can levy a death tax or an estate tax on his business. This can bring down the worth of that business by as much as 50 percent.
