How to Find the Best Arizona Trust Attorney for You
Establishing a trust is a vital part of estate planning in Arizona or any other state. A trust lets you protect your assets and support your beneficiaries after you die. Unlike a will that goes through a lengthy probate before it can be executed, a trust can take effect as soon as you get a trust attorney to put it together for you.
It is therefore essential that you get the right trust attorney to help you find the most efficient way to establish a trust. The trust attorney you choose should have the expertise and experience in estate planning. And if you live in the state of Arizona, trust attorneys with years of experience in Arizona estate law should be one of your main criteria.
Keep reading to learn how to find the ideal Arizona trust attorney for your estate planning needs.
What is a Trust?
Before you start looking for the best Arizona trust attorney, you need to know what a trust is and understand the concept behind it. A trust is a legal agreement that lets a trustor (you) assign a trustee (a third party) control over their estate. In a trust, the trustee manages the trustor’s estate in case the trustor dies or becomes incapacitated. Many people opt for revocable living trusts and name themself the trustee to manage their own assets while they are alive. Then, your successor trustee takes over trust administration when you die or are incapacitated.
Are you serving as the successor trustee for a loved one? Download our Free Trustee Toolkit to guide you every step of the way! It includes a checklist, successor trustee acceptance form, trust inventory spreadsheet, trust distribution schedule spreadsheet, and video walkthroughs with our guidance and support delivered right to your inbox.
In our past article here, we discussed how a trust works in Arizona. This can help you when looking for the best Arizona trust attorney.
Why Do You Need a Trust?
You need a trust mainly for the protection of your assets and to avoid probate. Without a trust, the assets you possess before you die will be subjected to probate. Probate is required to transfer the title of your assets to your beneficiaries. However, with a trust, this can easily be done without the need for court involvement.
Furthermore, a trust can help prevent disputes or lawsuits that can delay the distribution and transfer of your assets to your beneficiaries. Without a trust, your will and its provisions can be contested and undergo probate or trial that can take years to resolve.
Additionally, you need a trust if you prefer to keep your estate private. An estate that goes through probate requires filing your will with a local probate court, thus exposing the details of your will to the public via court records. In contrast, a trust takes effect without the need to file it with a court.
Steps in Finding the Best Arizona Trust Attorney for You
Now that we’ve covered our bases with the above information, you can effectively assess the Arizona trust attorneys you consult with. Here are the steps to find the ideal Arizona trust lawyer for you.
1. Start with Your Local Network
There is an excellent chance that your business partners, clients, relatives, etc. are already working with an Arizona trust attorney. Seek referrals and recommendations from them. If you don’t have anyone in your network to ask, look at online reviews to find a reputable, experienced law firm. The key is to make sure you look at their practice areas. General practice lawyers won’t necessarily have the experience creating trusts to know what works and what doesn’t.
2. Schedule a Consultation
It is common for Arizona trust attorneys to give free consultations before you retain their services. Here at Rilus Law, we offer a free Personal Family Legal Session. This is a one-hour meeting with an experienced Arizona trust attorney to discuss your needs, answer your questions, and provide a flat-rate fee for your estate plan. You don’t even have to come to our office for the meeting, as we have an established system for virtual consultations.
3. Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get explanations on unclear issues regarding your trust. Keep in mind that a trust should be suited to your needs. Not understanding all the aspects of your trust is harmful for you and your beneficiaries. This is why we believe in empowering our clients through estate planning education. Not only do we offer free resources on our blog and YouTube channel but also we walk through exactly how a trust works and more in our consultation.
4. Get a Quote
Establishing a trust is not free. Your legal fees can come from professional consultations, the preparation of forms, and other costs. When consulting with your Arizona trust attorney, make sure to get a precise quote on their legal services to avoid hidden fees that may surprise you in the future. After our free Personal Family Legal Session, we provide a fee agreement that states the flat-rate cost for the custom estate plan we recommend for you. You can then take your time to consider the cost before engaging or begin your estate plan with us right away.
5. Choose the Best
Choose the best Arizona trust attorney based on the information you have gathered. Consider their expertise and the quality of their service as the main criteria. Have they created trusts for many other clients? Are they familiar with unique situations like yours? Do they create estate plans that are effective or overly complicated? Also, do they offer a modern estate plan that covers everything including your digital assets? While the cost is important to fit in your budget, the answers to these questions are even more important to make sure you get a quality plan.
Consult with Rilus Law
With 14 years of experience with trusts, estate planning, and probate in the state of Arizona, attorney Rilus Dana has handled every type of trust there is. You can rest assured that we know the ins and outs of trust creation, execution, and administration. Rilus Law estate plans are simple, streamlined, and effective at reaping the benefits that a trust can give to your wealth and assets. In addition, we also have extensive experience with the pros and cons of establishing trusts in the state of Arizona.
We have helped hundreds of individuals and families find the best trust that fits their needs, and we are confident that we can help you too. Consult with our team for free today!