Building a Strong Relationship With Your Trust Lawyer

The existence of a durable relationship between attorney and client can make or break an individual’s case. Clients must be able to trust and rely on their attorney to do their best for them. Below, a DC trusts lawyer discusses why trust is so important in all attorney-client relationships. Call and schedule a consultation with our trusts and estates attorneys.

The most important aspect of an attorney/client relationship is effective and efficient communication. It is important for an attorney to be aware of all activities of the trustee during the administration of a trust so that the attorney may advise the trustee appropriately.

Finding an Attorney You Can Work With Over The Long Term

For a grantor, it is important to work with an attorney who you feel comfortable confiding in during your lifetime so that he or she may available to assist you with continue guidance regarding your estate planning needs. For a trustee, working an attorney for the longevity of the trust administration assists with providing continuity in the administration and can reduce administrative expenses.

Trusts can last for several years, even several decades depending on the terms of the trust. It is important to work with an attorney who is familiar with the overall goal of the trust. The client should be comfortable working with the attorney for the longevity of the trust administration.

The best relationship between an attorney and a trustee is one that is built over the entire scope of the trust administration.

Consultations with an Attorney

It is recommended that an individual consult with a DC trust attorney to learn more about overall estate planning options, how a trust can be used as a part of the estate plan, and which trust is the best fit for the nature of the person’s assets, goals, and the family dynamic.

A Trust Attorney Can Help You Plan For Your Future

A DC trust attorney does not provide you with financial advice. They will not discuss what accounts or stocks you should invest in. Rather, a trust attorney can help you plan for your future. They may help you coordinate beneficiary designations with your trust or overall estate plan. They may advise you what trust or trusts should be incorporated into your estate plan. They may help identify the best assets to fund your trust and how to title those designations so that they are governed by the provisions of the trust. An estate planning attorney may also work along with your financial and tax advisors to provide for a comprehensive and well-coordinated estate plan.

The key difference between an estate planning attorney and a financial advisor is that a trust attorney does not advise you on how to invest the trust assets. The trust attorney will advise you how to draft the trust to govern certain assets, how to properly retitle those assets into the name of the trust, and how to manage the trust assets to be compliant with the trust provisions. This ensures that your goals can be met for the distribution of those assets to future generations or to minimize exposure to estate tax or other goals for your estate planning.

Adjusting Your Plans As Things Change

A key benefit of working with an estate and trust attorney during your lifetime is that the attorney becomes familiar with what aspects of your estate plan that may need to be tweaked in the event that you get married, buy a house or a second home, have a child, increase or decrease your net wealth significantly, experiences the loss of a loved one, or any of the major life events that may affect your overall estate plan.