One surprising area in which scams are becoming more common is estate planning. Each year, more people fall victim to unscrupulous and unqualified sellers of ineffective estate planning documents. Often, these scammers are door-to-door salesmen or telemarketers.
Scams are everywhere if you look close enough. And the field of estate planning is no exception. A recent post from the Pinoy News Magazine, “3 ways to avoid an estate planning scam,” sheds some light on estate planning scams and how to avoid them.
More and more people are falling victim to unscrupulous and unqualified sellers of ineffective estate planning documents. Quite often, these people are door-to-door salesmen or telemarketers. The Pinoy article asks, “Would you recognize an estate planning scam if you saw one?”
To make sure you or your family are never victims, remember these tips:
- Work with a qualified estate planning attorney, and don’t try to save money with a do-it-yourself will kit on the Internet. Estate planning is a very complex area of law, and the rules are different in each state.
- Take your time. Don’t put this off, but don’t be in a rush. Quality estate planning attorneys understand when you need additional information about their services and will work with you so you’re comfortable with your decisions.
- Ask questions. A qualified estate planning attorney has years of legal training and experience and should explain all of your planning options, as well as the potential outcomes for each.
- Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Someone who is unlicensed or unqualified might offer you a super duper deal, but what are you really getting?
A qualified estate planning attorney will work with you to put a sound strategy together that carries out your wishes and meets the needs of your family without any stress or worry.
Reference: Pinoy News Magazine (May 16th, 2014) “3 ways to avoid an estate planning scam“
