There are many do-it-yourself books and websites which purport to help with estate planning. While some of them are very informative, some are highly confusing and misleading. Its Ok to read through them for a fair understanding of the concept, but remember that estate planning is a complex matter, involving lot of valuations and intricate tax matters, and is subject to ever-changing laws, which many of us lesser mortals may not comprehend completely. Moreover, laws differ from state to state. Therefore, though theres no compulsion to hire an attorney, make sure to take professional help to save yourself and your beneficiaries from complications.

Finding an attorney specializing in estate planning is not that difficult. There are many free on-line databases which provide the names and addresses of attorneys. These are organized by state, county, city, and specialization. So, your attorney is just a mouse-click away.

There are many lawyers who provide free on-line consultation and advice. If you simply give the details of your estate and beneficiaries, the experts will evaluate the case and tell you the probable tax incidence and the ways to minimize the tax. You can utilize these free services to understand your own legal and tax obligations and, after your death, those of the beneficiaries vis--vis the estate.

Before approaching an attorney its prudent to do some investigative work on the credentials of the one you have chosen. Ensure that s/he is a certified specialist and is well experienced in estate planning. You can even ask the attorney to give references from the people who earlier availed his/her services. Also, check whether the professional fees fit within your budget.

If you are satisfied with all these details and decide to hire his/her services, youll be offered a contract known as legal services agreement/retainer agreement. Understand the agreement before signing it so that you wont end up paying more than you bargained for or forego certain services you took for granted.

Professional services will include evaluating the estate, planning and managing it during your lifetime, and disposing of it off after your death in a way which gives the optimum benefit to your beneficiaries and attracts minimum tax. The attorney will also take care of all documentation and filing work.

Yes, legal services are a little expensive here. But the money and time you spend to plan your estate not only assures monetary security to your dear ones when you are gone but also saves them from alot of legal and tax complications.