estate planning

I honestly think they would not like it. Anything that would empower a non lawyer to give estate planning advise is taking potential food from their mouths.
 
Actually, not. I certainly cannot draft the documents, but I can tell whether an attorney is trying to "fool me" by dusting off some trust software.

I can also tell when they're trying to ripoff clients and friends.
 
I have several lawyers that refer clients to me to gather their financial information, review their current plan, discover their objectives and educate them on their options. They explain to the client that it is less expensive to let me do the ground work at 100 per hour than it is for him to do it at 350 an hour. When I have completed my work we meet with the lawyer to refine and for him to prepare the documents.
With other lawyers that don't specialize in estate planning they welcome my input. Estate planning is going to be a very good place to work assuming the UTC stay as projected, there will be large life sales to fund the liquidity problems.
 
I agree with both of you, and I too work closely with several good estate attorneys. I give a lot of the advice we are talking about, but documents and specific advice without a disclaimer that I am not an attorney will upset some and lead to problems with practicing law without a license if it comes up that I have been giving advice.

I live in a TOD state that allows for real estate transfers with an amended Warranty Deed. Only 9 states do this right now. Many lawyers here do not even tell their clients about this option and sell them trusts. In my state you do not need a trust to avoid probate, so the primary purpose of std trusts here are to double the estate tax exemption if applicable and to settle complicated beneficiary situations. Not all lawyers are equally competent and many are either uninformed, greedy, or ... so I give a lot of advice with a disclaimer and send them to a good lawyer if necessary. ;)
 
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