elder law attorney fee details

ELDER LAW ATTORNEY FEE

DETAILS Get a Better Understanding of What Goes Into Elder Law Attorney Fees and Other Additional Details You Need to Consider

When Hiring an Elder Law Attorney

STEPHEN M. WALTAR BELLEVUE WASHINGTON ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY

http://www.waltar.com/

Elder Law Attorney Fee Details www.waltar.com 2

Do you need help with estate planning? Do you have concerns regarding

Medicaid benefits? If you are faced with a situation that requires the attention of

an elder law attorney, you should strongly consider hiring a professional who can

point you in the right direction and show you what you should and should not be

doing next.

Many people are torn regarding whether or not they should hire an elder law

attorney. On one side of things, they are well aware that getting the assistance of

a legal professional could work in their favor. On the other side of things, they

have concerns regarding the cost of doing so.

When you hire an elder law attorney, you should expect to pay for the service you

receive. This is not something you will want to pay for, but you have to realize

that you are getting a lot of value in return.

To better understand what you are faced with, here is what you need to know:

You are going to receive advice from an experienced professional

You are going to pay a fee for the type of service you receive

While these two points will help you better understand what you are up against,

you are well aware that there are additional details that need to be considered.

INITIAL CONSULTATION FEE

Whether or not you are charged an initial consultation fee is based primarily on

the attorney you choose to do business with. Some charge this fee while others do

not.


Note: even attorneys that charge an initial consultation fee typically let you roll

this cost into your total. In other words, you will not likely have to pay this

upfront.

Here are some questions to answer regarding this fee:

Is there an initial consultation fee?

If so, how much will I owe?

When is this fee due? Upfront?

Once you dig through these questions, you can decide if paying this fee is worth it

to you. While some don’t want to pay an initial consultation fee, in case they don’t

decide to use the attorney’s services, you have to realize that this meeting offers

value in a variety of ways.

HOURLY OR FLAT FEE

T Just the same as the initial consultation fee, some attorneys charge by the hour

for their services while others charge a flat fee. There are advantages and

disadvantages of both options, so make sure you keep an open mind as you

discuss this.

With many estate planning services, it makes more sense to bill at a flat rate.

These include things such as powers of attorney, wills, and special needs trust. It

is easier for elder law attorneys to charge a flat fee since there is a defined start

and end point.

Most agree that a flat fee, when possible, is advantageous. The reason for this is

simple: you will know what the service is going to cost upfront, allowing you to

budget accordingly along the way.


While you may be most interested in a flat fee, there are situations in which an

hourly rate makes more sense. If you find an elder law attorney wanting to charge

you by the hour, you need to get more information on the following two details:

The hourly rate you are being charged

An estimate of how many hours the task will take to complete

Reputable attorneys have no trouble telling you how much you will be charged

per hour. Along with this, you should request an estimate of how long the task

will take so you have a better idea of your overall cost.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Even though you now have a better understanding of what goes into elder law

attorney fees, it is only natural to have additional questions. Here are some that

need answered:

Are you willing to pay an elder law attorney for the service you are

requesting?

How much money is it going to cost you to get exactly what you want?

Does one elder law attorney have a cheaper fee than the rest, while still

offering the same high level of service?

Which payment methods are acceptable? Cash, credit card, check? All

three?

Are there any hidden fees you need to be aware of?


When you address these types of questions, it is much easier to get a solid grasp

on which elder law attorney you should be hiring and what you will need to spend

to receive the service you are interested in.

Once you know the ins and outs of the fees charged by an elder law attorney, you

can get past this and begin to talk about the matter at hand.


About the Author

Stephen Waltar

Steve was born on March 15, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts. His true roots, however, are firmly planted in the Pacific Northwest. Steve grew up in Richland, Washington and moved to Seattle in 1980 to attend college (Seattle Pacific University, B.A., cum laude, 1984). He lived in Princeton, New Jersey for three years during graduate school (Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1988). Steve returned to Puget Sound to attend law school in Tacoma (University of Puget Sound/Seattle University, J.D.,

1993). He was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1994. Steve is also admitted to practice in United States District Court, Western District of Washington. EXPERIENCE Prior to establishing his own law firm in 2000, Mr. Waltar spent four years at an exclusive estate planning law firm in Seattle. Mr. Waltar limits his law practice to areas associated with estate planning, including trusts, estate tax law, wills, probate, asset protection, business incorporation & succession planning, charitable giving, and disability planning. Before he limited his practice to estate and business planning, Mr. Waltar was with Rosenow, Johnson, Graffe, Keay & Moniz, focusing his practice on general litigation, insurance defense, and family law. Before joining Rosenow Johnson, he supervised the family law department at Mulligan & Associates, P.L.L.C. Steve is a popular and entertaining speaker at estate planning seminars, and has taught both professionals and lay people estate planning and charitable giving. Steve has given over 100 seminars and talks and has taught courses at the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Northwest University, and Bellevue Community College. He has spoken to private and public employees as well as to numerous communities, civic and religious groups. Steve has been a co-host and guest on two syndicated radio programs. He is currently publishing his first book on Estate Planning. Stephen M Waltar, PS www.waltar.com Hidden Valley Office Park 1750 112th Avenue NE, Suite C245 Bellevue, WA 98004 Phone: (425) 455-6788 Fax: (425) 450-4601

http://www.waltar.com/

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