Someone asked me recently, “What would you say are some of the common fears families looking to protect their assets from divorce, creditors, lawsuits, and predators have about protecting everyone they love and everything they own?” 

For someone who doesn’t do estate planning every day, this may seem like a weird question. After all, why would you fear anything meant to help you? It would be like getting skittish about the laces that help keep the shoes on your feet snug or fretting over whether or not to buy a car seat for your child. But there is not a day that goes by where we do not meet with someone who has preconceived notions and even a few irrational fears about this critical piece to life planning.

Here are three common fears families have about estate planning:

1. Fear that they will pass away sooner — An irrational fear that if they admit their own mortality and put together a will or trust, they’re somehow more likely to pass away. As a result, they resist sitting down with a qualified attorney, even though they know having a plan in place is the right thing to do.
2. They will be nickeled and dimed — They genuinely believe they will be charged for every phone call to their attorney, every meeting they schedule, and every question they have.
3. They are scared of attorneys — They think all attorneys are stodgy, impersonal people.

How we help you overcome these fears

At Leigh Hilton PLLC, we try our very best to make the estate planning process as seamless and personable as possible. And the first step is always to meet with you. The purpose of the initial meeting is actually to get to know you, your family, and your situation so that we can customize a plan based on your unique family situation. 

This pivotal first step helps alleviate all three fears in that our clients feel like they have a true partner and confidante as they move forward. They know they are being treated with respect and can take their time asking all the questions they need to ask so that they are confident moving forward. In terms of avoiding being nickeled and dimed, everything we do here is at a fixed price. This way, our clients know what it will cost them to put a plan together. And in the future, if they have more questions, they can email or call us at no additional charge. 

Bottom line, you are getting the information you need to make sure your plan does exactly what you want it to do.

Call Leigh Hilton PLLC today!!

As I talk about in my book, Who Gets Your Stuff When You Die, several websites offer to create legal documents, including wills and trusts. And they do it for far cheaper than hiring an attorney. We are not going to lie — hiring an attorney to draft your will is expensive. But saving money now with one of these services could cost you and your family far more money down the road than it would have cost to hire an estate planning attorney.

Call Leigh Hilton PLLC in Denton, and we will help walk you through all of your estate planning needs. We have ample experience with wills and trusts and will take into consideration your particular situation. Proper planning of an estate, whether through a will, trust, or both, helps ensure your wishes are carried out. 

Leigh Hilton PLLC wants to be your first call every time for any estate planning need. We look forward to serving you.

Thanks for reading!