California probate lawyers: how to choose yours- Part 2

You've probably heard the old saying that a jack of all trades is a master of none. One way to find out if the attorney you are thinking of hiring practices probate and a number of unrelated fields is by looking at their ads in the Yellow Pages or their website. If their ads show the attorney practices in number of unrelated fields then you have a jack of all trades. If the attorney you were thinking of hiring does have an ad in the Yellow Pages then make sure you flip through the other sections of the Yellow Pages attorney ads because some attorneys advertise in only one practice area per section. If the same attorney has an ad for family law in the family law section, personal injury in the personal injury section, and probate in the probate section then you have a jack of all trades. Keep searching until you find a California lawyer who focuses on probate.

You should also ask the California probate lawyer you are thinking of hiring in what other fields they practice. If the answers you're getting are anything other than estate planning, trust litigation, will contests or probate litigation then you've got a jack of all trades. Keep searching until you find someone who focuses only on these areas.

You should ask the probate lawyer whether they have produced anything to educate their clients about the probate process. Find out if they have written a book or created DVD or anything else that helps their clients to understand what is going to happen during the process and what they should expect. You should expect your attorney to provide you with an education so that you can make informed decisions as your case progresses.

What do past clients of the attorney you are interviewing have to say? An attorney practicing for any length of time should have testimonials from satisfied clients. Don't take the testimonials as proof that your case will go smoothly because each case is different. But an attorney whose past clients don't have something good to say about their California probate lawyer is a sign there may be a problem.

You should also look at who the attorney has represented. An attorney who has represented a combination of banks, private fiduciaries, and individuals is probably a good choice. If the attorney has only represented banks, trust companies, or private fiduciaries then that attorney may have some really lousy social skills and be unable to talk to ordinary people. An attorney who has only represented individuals may not have the knowledge, skill, or experience that a bank expects from their attorney. Banks can afford to be choosy and they are. They've got deep pockets and are targets for liability. Banks choose the best California probate lawyers to represent them in probate court in order to protect themselves.

The Grossman Law Firm, A.P.C. are Riverside, California probate lawyers.  We help probate estates in Riverside County, California.  We appear in the Riverside probate court for cases in the area bounded by Temecula, Corona, and Banning, California.  We appear in the Palm Springs/Indio probate court for cases from Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Indian Wells, and Indio, California.  If you  would like more information on probate and trust administration then order our free book The Insider's Guide to California Probate and Trust Administration as well as our free DVD Probate a Will or Administer a Trust After the Death of a Loved One.