Palm Beach Trust Lawyer

Many Floridians are leaving your inheritance in a revocable trust. Here are some steps to help you find a Palm Beach Trust lawyer. You should first consider whether you even need one at all.

Why and when?

Why do you need a Palm Beach trust lawyer?

The truth is that you may not. Confident and experienced trial lawyers will tell you this. Not to be coy or play hard to get. It’s because they have the business and law practice to be upfront with potential clients.

And, most will tell you that if you can avoid litigation, you should save a lot of money, time and angst.

If you are inheriting from a trust, ask yourself: do you trust your trustee?

If your trustee is responsible, attentive and responsive, you probably don’t need a lawyer.

However, if you need to understand your rights, or file a trust contest or objection, consider whether you can afford the time and patience needed. After all, trust litigation takes time, is costly, and some people find it anxiety-ridden. Sometimes, people have different interpretations over a trust or want to void a trust amendment. (To read the Florida Trust Code, click here.)

Yes, many trust beneficiaries want some so called “fire power”. A pitbull on their side who can explain and advocate for them.

But try working things out with your trustee first. She is supposed to give you information about your trust and inheritance. Communicate. Be reasonable. Try to avoid the time and expense of a lawyer. If that fails, however, you should know your rights as a beneficiary. And, who to hire to help fight for you.

Hiring the best Palm Beach trust lawyer

OK. Let’s say you are getting nowhere with your trustee.

Now what?

If you want someone who’s got your back, consider an experienced trust litigation law firm.

But be careful. There are a lot of “trust lawyers” out there. And many do a fine job of writing trusts. Some even go to court. A lot. But few of them actually specialize in trust lawsuits.

Since hiring good, experienced, trust litigation lawyers is expensive. Consider whether you can find a good trust contingency fee litigator. There are a few out there.

Consider someone with at least 10 years experience trying cases. Someone who limits their practice to this area of expertise. A specialist. Ask them how many cases their firm tried in the last year? Or, over the pandemic. Look for real litigators handling real trials. Those who know how to prepare for a trial, who handle appeals, prepare witnesses, object to testimony, and understand the rules of evidence.