If your estate plan involves a charity, you may be able to receive free educaitonal assistance from the charity's planned giving department. Although many may be involved in the planning stages, your final estate plan and the necessary documents should be prepared by an attorney who specializes in estate planning. You should feel free to ask any adviser about his background and experience in estate planning. If you have a particular concern, such as passing a business down to your family or caring for a disabled relative, ask the adviser if he has had previous experience in such areas. In all cases, ask for an explanation of what the charges will be for services rendered, and get this understanding in writing.
Estate planning is an area where a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Consider as an illustration a couple whom we will name Paul and Mary. They wanted to leave all their belongings equally to their three daughters. Since their daughter Sarah was living next door to them, they decided to add her name to their own, jointly titling their assets. This way, they thought, Sarah would be able to manage their assets if they becaame disabled. Additionally, jointly titling everything with Sarah meant she would be the sole owner at our deaths, and the need for a will and probate would be avoided.