How to find a lawyer - Last will and testament edition
October 20, 2015 3:11 PM Subscribe
What's the best way to go about finding a lawyer to help me write a will? I know I could/should be able to do this on my own, but I'd feel more comfortable having someone else be responsible for dotting all i's and crossing all t's. This is in Minneapolis.
Don't know if any of this is relevant, but: 1) No spouse, no kids; 2) My estate will probably be in the low six-figures including a little house with no mortgage and a few small investments; 3) I have two siblings. Without a will, they would inherit, but I have a friend I would prefer to leave everything to. I will probably be naming her as the executor as well.
I don't have a car, so it needs to be someone easily accessible by bus or light-rail if you have a personal recommendation you want to pass along.
How much should I expect this to cost me?
I'm open to any other good will-writing advice you may want to offer.
Thanks everybody!
Don't know if any of this is relevant, but: 1) No spouse, no kids; 2) My estate will probably be in the low six-figures including a little house with no mortgage and a few small investments; 3) I have two siblings. Without a will, they would inherit, but I have a friend I would prefer to leave everything to. I will probably be naming her as the executor as well.
I don't have a car, so it needs to be someone easily accessible by bus or light-rail if you have a personal recommendation you want to pass along.
How much should I expect this to cost me?
I'm open to any other good will-writing advice you may want to offer.
Thanks everybody!
The best way to find a lawyer is by a personal referral - ask around to see if any of your friends have worked with a lawyer they liked & trusted. If no one has a recommendation for an estate planning lawyer but knows a good [other subject] lawyer, you can try calling that person's office to see if they can refer you to an estate planning lawyer.
If you don't get a good referral from a friend or Metafilter, most bar associations run referral services. This appears to be the one for the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Costs are likely to vary pretty significantly, depending on both who you go to and whether you decide to go with a will or a trust (or some other type of estate planning). I second the recommendation to shop around a bit.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:59 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you don't get a good referral from a friend or Metafilter, most bar associations run referral services. This appears to be the one for the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Costs are likely to vary pretty significantly, depending on both who you go to and whether you decide to go with a will or a trust (or some other type of estate planning). I second the recommendation to shop around a bit.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:59 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
We did our simple wills through a Minneapolis community ed class! the lawyer who ran it was pretty great about telling people when their issues were too complicated for the simple version, but it doesn't seem like yours would be.
posted by advicepig at 4:21 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by advicepig at 4:21 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
IANAL, but I would suggest going DIY as much as you can in the beginning and then taking your close-to-finished product to a lawyer to get checked over. Doing one of those community ed classes could be one way to do it, but there are typically fill-in forms available for each state. (I looked at the Minnesota Judicial Branch site just now and got a 404, but they're probably out there.)
The key is basically to get all of your assets and plans for distribution in front of you so you can get an idea of what needs doing. You may need to get warranty deed transfers or some such that will make you pause the process. If you have a clear plan in motion, and/or a checklist, you can keep moving forward on other things (or take a break and come back) without losing your place. Then you can save money when you go to the lawyer, because s/he and their assistants aren't taking time to [plug your name and info into a software package in order to] draft a will for you.
Do take extra time on the real estate, though. A guy I dated who was originally from Minnesota had to shepherd his mom through a pretty tedious process because his dad's share of the house didn't automatically revert to his surviving spouse (the guy's mom) when the dad died -- and she didn't realize that until six or seven years later. Even if you have no spouse, make sure you know where your house goes for sure.
posted by St. Hubbins at 11:32 PM on October 20, 2015
The key is basically to get all of your assets and plans for distribution in front of you so you can get an idea of what needs doing. You may need to get warranty deed transfers or some such that will make you pause the process. If you have a clear plan in motion, and/or a checklist, you can keep moving forward on other things (or take a break and come back) without losing your place. Then you can save money when you go to the lawyer, because s/he and their assistants aren't taking time to [plug your name and info into a software package in order to] draft a will for you.
Do take extra time on the real estate, though. A guy I dated who was originally from Minnesota had to shepherd his mom through a pretty tedious process because his dad's share of the house didn't automatically revert to his surviving spouse (the guy's mom) when the dad died -- and she didn't realize that until six or seven years later. Even if you have no spouse, make sure you know where your house goes for sure.
posted by St. Hubbins at 11:32 PM on October 20, 2015
Check your memail.
posted by sparklemotion at 7:02 AM on October 21, 2015
posted by sparklemotion at 7:02 AM on October 21, 2015
You might consider doing it online with someone like Nolo.com. I'm pretty cautious and skeptical but, after checking it out, that's what I did. Situation similar to yours. And no car needed.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 1:53 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by fivesavagepalms at 1:53 PM on October 23, 2015
If you scroll all the way down to the grey on grey text at the end of Nolo.com's WillMaker Plus page, there is a link titled "Disclaimer — Legal information is not legal advice," which leads to a longer explanation that includes this quote:
posted by Little Dawn at 12:58 PM on October 24, 2015
The accuracy, completeness, adequacy or currency of the content is not warranted or guaranteed. Our sites and services are not substitutes for the advices or services of an attorney. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional if you want legal, business or tax advice.This why companies like Nolo.com can be risky to rely on. As a starting point, online information and services may be helpful for getting organized, but an attorney in your state can explain how to comply with local laws and actually accomplish your estate planning goals.
posted by Little Dawn at 12:58 PM on October 24, 2015
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You may want to contact several attorneys to get a sense of the costs involved, because it may vary by attorney and the types of legal instruments that you want drafted - a trust may be more effective for accomplishing your goals, and a law firm that routinely handles these issues may offer you a fixed fee and possibly a payment plan.
posted by Little Dawn at 3:51 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]