Who is the Best Florida Probate Attorney?
A friend recently asked, “who is the best Florida probate attorney?” While there are certainly some preeminent attorneys practicing in the area, the concept of “best” is subjective. The question would be better phrased as “which probate attorney would best meet my needs?”
When interviewing a lawyer to determine whether he or she can represent you in an estate, the best gauge of whether you are hiring the best probate attorney for you is to look at the level of education, length of time as a lawyer, and the area of legal concentration. The last is perhaps the most important factor of all when deciding which probate lawyer is best for you. For example, not long ago a lawyer on the other side of a case was representing his client in a Will contest and my firm was defending. The lawyer on the other side was struggling with basic procedural issues. When I looked him up on the Florida Bar website, I found that he “concentrated” in custody, support, divorce, commercial, real estate, business, bankruptcy, litigation, personal injury, etc… There’s an old saying – Jack of all trades, master of none – that applies to lawyers, too. The same analysis applies within an area of concentration. For example, an attorney who prepares Wills and handles routine administration may not be your best choice if you have a probate litigation issue.
When looking for the best probate lawyer for your needs, pay special attention to whether the attorney concentrates his or her practice in the legal area for which you need representation. There is no such thing as a “best probate attorney,” but you can certainly look for an “experienced probate attorney” and that will improve the likelihood that you will find the attorney who is the best fit for your needs and who will provide you with competent representation.
