June 27, 2022

It is true that you may engage several different professionals to assist you with the process of creating your estate plan. It is also true that you likely need an estate planning lawyer to help you with putting together your comprehensive plan. This is because while accountants and financial advisors can provide some good perspective about your future goals and your current planning strategies, only a knowledgeable attorney can help you put together the legally valid documents.

A financial advisor is most helpful for certain parts of your estate planning, but since estate planning is a very broad topic that can have tax, legal and financial issues, it’s important to retain the right attorney to help you with your estate plan. An estate planning lawyer works on the legal aspects of your estate plan and also helps you answer questions about the financial side of things.

Financial advisors can be helpful for understanding things, such as planning for retirement, but estate planning attorneys are very familiar with dealing with probate court issues and asset protection concerns. Financial advisors, on the other hand, are primarily motivated to help people with financial planning and investments by teaching people about managing money, how to invest and how to save for retirement. They often interact with other people in their networks, such as financial planners, accountants, and insurance agents to help with these matters.

So who do you consult, an estate planning attorney or a financial advisor when it comes to your estate planning needs?

What if you didn’t have to choose? Because let’s face it-the estate plan should address not only what will be left in your legacy, but also how will be handled. They are fundamentally interrelated. You need financial, tax, and legal advice.

Make sure that if you’re thinking about creating an estate plan, that you have the opportunity to reach out to a dedicated and knowledgeable lawyer as well as the proper wealth manager. And if you don’t want to have to choose or coordinate multiple professionals – feel free to reach out to us where it’s all done under one roof.