Elder Law
Call First - Questions to Ask
Once you have a list of one or more lawyers,
call their offices and briefly explain your
situation. You may not get to speak with the
attorney, but you should still ask the following
questions to possibly set up an appointment.
• Does the lawyer have experience with your
kind of problem and how long has s/he been
practicing Elder Law?
• Does the lawyer charges for an initial interview
and, if so, how much?
• If your problem is routine, does the attorney
have a standard fee? What does it cover?
• If your problem appears more complicated,
ask about how fee work. Does the attorney
charge by the hour or for what you need is
there a standard flat fee?
• Does the lawyer have a written document
describing fees and services provided?
Write down the information and compare
the answers you receive to other Elder Law
Attorneys. After you have reviewed your list,
call back for an appointment to interview
the attorney or attorneys whose answers
satisfied you the most. Most of these “initial
consultations” are free or provided at a nominal
cost. Go to the first interview with an open
mind. You don’t have to decide to employ the
lawyer you are interviewing until you have had
time to think about it.
Consultation/Interview - Come
Organized
Be organized when you first meet with the
lawyer. It is important to have with you a written
summary and/or detailed notes outlining your
problem. Have the names, addresses, phone
numbers, documents, paperwork and all other
pertinent information that you need so the
lawyer can review them if needed at the time
of your appointment. You may need to drop off
the information in advance so that the lawyer
can review them before your appointment.
FINDING AN ATTORNEY
Hiring An Attorney
If you are not sure you need to hire an Elder
Law Attorney, you need to ask yourself:
“Do I have the legal knowledge and resources to
resolve my legal issue by myself or do I need to
hire an Elder Law Attorney?”
If the answer is NO, then the following
questions will help you in your search. You
should first get a list of Elder Law Attorneys. If
you have family or friends that can give you a
list of references of attorney(s) they have had
good experiences with then start there. If you
need a list of Polk County Elder Attorneys, then
go to our website at www.PolkElderCare.com.
Wilson Law, P.L.
Practice Areas:
• Elder Law
• Estate Planning:
Wills, Trusts,
Durable Power of
Attorney, Health
Care Surrogate
Designations
& Living Wills
• Medicaid Planning
• Probate Administration
• Trust Administration
Natalie R. Wilson
Attorney &
Counselor at Law
206 Easton Drive, Suite 101
Lakeland, FL 33803
(863) 682-6828
wilsonlawpl.com • nwilson@wilsonlawpl.com
70 www.PolkElderCare.com