Broker Check

Questions to Ask an Attorney Doing Gift and Estate Tax Planning

January 22, 2021

Experience

  • How long have you been in practice?
  • Can you tell me a little about your practice?
  • How many lawyers in your firm?
  • What is your client base made up of?
  • What percentage of your clients is Christian/non-Christian?
  • What are your areas of specialty?
  • Have you handled complex situations?
  • Give me an example of some of the complex cases you have handled.
  • Have you handled many cases in my area of need (estate planning, business succession, tax planning, etc)?

Services

  • Will you or an associate of yours work with me?
  • How long will it take for you to do my work?
  • How responsive are you to my calls and questions?
  • How timely is your work generally done?

Referrals

  • Do you have clients with similar situations like mine who might be willing to speak with me about your services?
  • Do you have other professionals that might be willing to speak to me about your services?

Reputation

  • Are you in good standing with your local bar association?
  • Have you ever been cited by a professional governing body for disciplinary reasons?
  • What organizations have regulative authority over you?
  • Have you ever had any complaints filed against you with any organizations that regulate you?
  • Have you ever been publicly disciplined for any unlawful or unethical actions in your career?
  • Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?
  • What other outside activities are you involved in?

Compensation

  • Do you charge for initial consultations?
  • How are your fees calculated?
  • Can the fee arrangements be set forth in writing before the engagement begins?
  • What are your hourly rates?
  • What are the hourly rates of your associates?
  • Will you be charging me for every phone conversation and/or meeting?
  • What do you project my costs would be for your services?
  • What can I do to help you with your work and keep your fees to a minimum?