What Qualities Should I Look For In An Estate Litigation Attorney?
In seeking out a probate and estate litigation attorney, it’s critical to find someone who understands the law, how to properly construct documents, how to go through the litigation process, and someone who understands people. People skills are one of the most important skills that an attorney can have. Any attorney can master the basic technical aspects of the law, but litigation and drafting sophisticated estate planning documents are highly technical matters. It encompasses tax matters, document drafting and contemplation of litigation matters. So, the technical skill need to be top notch. But, at the end of the day, it’s the people skills coupled with the technical skills that are going to make for the most effective lawyer.
To have people skills means to have the ability to sit down with a client, understand their specific situation, empathize with the trials and tribulations that they’re going through, and compassionately look at their overall situation in order to recommend the best course of action. The best course of action is not necessarily the one that will yield the greatest financial profit or technical results, but often involve alternative solutions to the problems that they face. That’s not an easy thing to do. There are a lot of attorneys who are just out for the money and they just want to go for the kill in litigation. It’s hard to interact with attorneys like that because they’re not necessarily looking out for the best interest of their clients.
I have clients who say, “Akiva, I’m really glad I found you. I never found an attorney that’s been able to really understand what it is that I wanted to accomplish. Usually they don’t have enough time to listen to me, they don’t ask me the right questions, and they’re only interested in specifically what they are capable of doing on a legal front. They have no interest in helping to blend together all of the various things that I need.” But New York State has recognized that that is the true right way for attorneys to approach things, and that’s why an attorney’s title is actually “Attorney and Counselor at Law.”
An attorney is someone who knows the legal side of things, and a counselor at law is someone who can sit down with their client and counsel them with respect to how to integrate the law into their life and into the things they want to accomplish in any particular matter. Legal counseling is just as important as the technical side of being attorney. I strive to bring that to my clients and I think that’s one thing that is very important to look for in an attorney.
Akiva Shapiro, A Personal Attorney for Your Life, Business & Legacy
I call myself a personal attorney for your life, business and legacy. This is because I look to get a clear understanding of the client’s entire life from a holistic legal perspective. It’s important to understand where the client is coming from, where they’re headed, where they want to go, what they have and what they want to protect.
It’s about protecting your rights, assets, what you own and what you are entitled to. If an attorney doesn’t understand a client’s overall situation, then they won’t be able to protect their assets or properly represent them. It’s very important to look for an attorney who the client can relate to and feel comfortable with. If a person can find the type of attorney who has the skills to do the job, as well as the individual personal skills, then they are going to be happy with that attorney.
For more information on Hiring an Estate Litigation Attorney in Long Island or Nassau or Suffolk County, a free phone consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (516) 806-0762 today.
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