What Does an Estate Planning Attorney Actually Do?

Many people hear the words “estate planning attorney” and think of one thing: writing a will. A will is important, but estate planning usually involves much more.

An estate planning attorney helps you make decisions about your family, finances, healthcare, and future. The goal is to make sure the right people can step in if something happens to you and that your wishes are clearly documented.

For families in Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Brookfield, and Elm Grove, working with an estate planning attorney can make the process much easier to understand.

Article Summary

1. An Estate Planning Attorney Helps You Build a Complete Plan
2. They Help You Decide What Documents You Need
3. They Help You Plan for Your Children
4. They Help You Choose the Right People
5. They Review Beneficiaries and Important Assets
6. They Help You Plan for Illness or Incapacity
7. They Help You Avoid Common Estate Planning Mistakes
8. They Help Keep Your Estate Plan Current
9. Work With a Milwaukee Estate Planning Attorney

1. An Estate Planning Attorney Helps You Build a Complete Plan

Estate planning is about creating a plan for several different situations.

• What happens to your property after you die?
• Who can manage financial matters if you become seriously ill?
• Who can make healthcare decisions if you cannot speak for yourself?
• Who would care for your minor children?

An estate planning attorney helps you work through these questions one at a time. You do not need to arrive at the first meeting with all the answers. In fact, most people do not.

A good attorney asks questions about your family, finances, concerns, and goals. Those conversations help determine which documents make sense for you. This is also why two families may have very different estate plans even if they have similar incomes.

2. They Help You Decide What Documents You Need

Not everyone needs the same estate planning documents. Some families may need a simple will and powers of attorney. Others may benefit from additional planning based on their children, property, or financial situation.

An estate planning attorney helps explain the purpose of each document and why it may or may not belong in your plan. Common documents can include a will, financial power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, and in some cases a trust.

The goal should not be to create as many documents as possible. It should be to create the right documents for your situation. If you are unsure where to start, our guide to 5 Estate Planning Documents Every Young Family Needs explains some of the documents parents often consider.

3. They Help You Plan for Your Children

For many parents, their children are the main reason they finally create an estate plan. An attorney can help you think through what would happen if you were no longer there to care for them.

One of the biggest decisions is choosing a guardian for minor children. This decision can feel difficult because parents often worry about making the “perfect” choice. An estate planning attorney can help you focus on practical questions such as family relationships, location, parenting values, and the person’s ability to take on the responsibility.

Your attorney can also help you think about how money should be handled for your children. You may not want a young child to receive a large amount of money without guidance.

Your estate plan can address how those assets should be managed. If guardianship is one of your biggest concerns, read How to Choose a Legal Guardian for Your Minor Children.

4. They Help You Choose the Right People

Estate planning documents often require you to name people you trust. Those decisions can be just as important as the documents themselves.

You may need to choose someone to handle financial matters, make healthcare decisions, manage your estate, or care for your children. An attorney can explain what each role involves.

That matters because the person who would be a great guardian for your children may not be the best person to handle financial matters. Your closest family member may not always be the right choice for every responsibility.

5. They Review Beneficiaries and Important Assets

Estate planning is not limited to your will. Many people own life insurance, retirement accounts, investment accounts, homes, and other assets.

Some of those assets may have beneficiary forms that control who receives them. An estate planning attorney can help you look at the bigger picture and make sure your beneficiary choices support the rest of your estate plan.

This is important because families often update one document and forget about everything else.

6. They Help You Plan for Illness or Incapacity

Estate planning is not only about death. It also prepares your family for situations where you are alive but unable to manage your own affairs.

An accident, serious illness, or other medical problem could leave you unable to pay bills, handle financial paperwork, or make healthcare decisions.

Powers of attorney can help prepare for those situations. A financial power of attorney can name someone to handle certain financial matters. A healthcare power of attorney can name someone to make healthcare decisions if needed.

7. They Help You Avoid Common Estate Planning Mistakes

Estate planning mistakes are often simple. A document may be signed incorrectly. A parent may forget to name a backup guardian. Beneficiary choices may not match the will. Someone may use an online form that does not fit their family situation.

These problems can be easy to miss. An estate planning attorney provides another set of eyes. They can ask questions you may not have thought about and help you understand how different choices work together.

If you are considering creating documents on your own, our article on Why Hiring an Estate Planning Lawyer Is Worth the Cost explains the value of having professional guidance during the process.

8. They Help Keep Your Estate Plan Current

An estate plan should not stay frozen forever. Your life changes. You may get married, have children, buy a new home, change jobs, build more savings, or experience changes in your family.

The people you named years ago may also no longer be the right choices. An estate planning attorney can review your documents and help determine whether they still reflect your life today.

Sometimes only a small update is needed. In other situations, several parts of the plan may need to change.

Either way, regular reviews can help prevent old documents from creating problems later. Knowing how often you should review your estate plan can also help you recognize when it is time to sit down with your attorney again.

9. Work With a Milwaukee Estate Planning Attorney

At Margerie Law, we help individuals and families in Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove, and nearby communities create practical estate plans without making the process harder than it needs to be.

You do not need to know which documents you need before you contact us. Our team can listen to your concerns, explain your choices in plain language, and help you create a plan that makes sense for your family.

If you are looking for a Milwaukee estate planning attorney and are ready to get started, contact our team today. We can help you take the next step and put a clear plan in place for the people who matter mos