Wills and trusts often come up when dealing with estate planning. When creating these documents, an estate attorney is essential. That’s because the process isn’t as simple as persons often believe. If you want your estate planning needs to be met, here are a few of the reasons you need to hire an attorney.

Generic Forms Don’t Cover Everything

With so many generic will and trust forms on the Internet, it’s tempting to use them to create a document on your own. Unfortunately, these forms are often too general in their format to be useful. If you use them, you may not address some specific areas such as appointing a power of attorney, trust management, advanced care directives, and asset allocation.

In some cases, documents that are created using these forms are even deemed invalid so persons have to endure the expensive and frustratingly slow probate process.

The Estate Planning Laws are State-Specific

Wills and trusts handle personal matters but they are also legal documents. That means they have to comply with the laws that govern them. Since these laws can be intricate and extensive depending on what you’d like handled, it’s important to get an attorney involved.

To make matters more daunting, the laws for wills and trusts vary between states so it’s in your best interest to collaborate with an attorney who’s knowledgeable of your state’s estate planning rules.

Your Finances Can Get Complicated

The good thing about getting an estate attorney involved in the creation of wills and trusts is that they can give you an objective view of your finances. You’ve been dealing with your assets, responsibilities, and liabilities so they might not seem complicated to you.

From the attorney’s point of view, however, elements such as having minor-aged children, multiple marriages, a recent divorce, and owning assets across different states can make things more complex. Your attorney will be able to address all the details relevant to your situation.

Put Your Estate Planning in the Right Hands

If you’re interested in creating a will or trust in California, then you should find an estate attorney that has comprehensive knowledge of estate planning. They will help you achieve your goals while ensuring that your documents are compliant with the relevant legal requirements.