What to Ask Before Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney in NH (And Why the Answer Matters)

Quick Summary

Not all estate planning attorneys work the same way, and the differences matter more than most families realize until they are already in the middle of a plan they do not fully understand. Before hiring an estate planning attorney in Southern New Hampshire, there are five questions worth asking — and the answers will tell you a great deal about what your experience will actually look like.

Estate planning is one of the few legal services that nearly everyone needs eventually and that almost no one shops for with any rigor. Most people choose an attorney based on a referral, a search result, or a seminar they attended. They meet with someone once, sign some documents, and hope for the best.

At Sowerby & Moustakis Law PLLC, we think you deserve better than that. Our estate planning clients in the Amherst, Concord, and Southern New Hampshire area tend to ask good questions before hiring us. We welcome that. Here are the questions we think matter most, and why the answers reveal so much about how an attorney actually works.

Question 1: Do You Include the Whole Family in the Planning Process?

Estate plans that only the person who signed them understands are estate plans waiting to fail.

When a spouse does not know where documents are, or a child does not understand what authority they have been given under a power of attorney, or an executor discovers halfway through probate that the assets were titled differently than the will assumed — those are not estate planning problems. They are communication problems. And they are preventable.

When you work with us, we offer family meetings as part of the planning process. This means that if it makes sense for your situation, we bring in your spouse, your adult children, or whoever else needs to understand what the plan does and how to carry it out. We explain the documents in plain language. We make sure everyone knows what to do when they actually need to use this plan.

Ask any attorney you are considering: do you offer family meetings, and is that included in your engagement? The answer tells you whether the attorney is focused on the transaction of drafting documents or the outcome of having a plan that actually works.

Question 2: Are Your Fees Transparent Before We Start?

Estate planning fees vary widely, and the billing structures some firms use can be confusing or unexpected. Some attorneys charge by the hour and give only a rough estimate at the outset. Some charge flat fees but only for certain documents, with additional charges for anything beyond a narrow scope. Some charge nothing for an initial consultation and then present a bill at the end that was never discussed upfront.

At Sowerby & Moustakis, our fees are transparent from the beginning. We discuss what a complete engagement will cost before we begin, and we explain what is included. We are not the cheapest option in New Hampshire, and we do not try to be. But we do not surprise our clients with bills they were not expecting.

Our fees page is one of the most visited pages on our website. That is intentional. Families in Southern New Hampshire should be able to understand roughly what they are walking into before they call us, and they should never feel uncomfortable asking.

Before hiring any estate planning attorney, ask for a complete fee schedule. Ask what is included, what is not, and what happens if your situation turns out to be more complex than originally discussed. A firm that cannot answer these questions clearly before you hire them is unlikely to communicate more clearly once you have already paid a retainer.

Question 3: Will I Work Directly with an Attorney, or Will I Be Handled Off to Support Staff?

This question matters more than people expect, particularly in the final stages of a plan.

Some firms are structured so that an attorney leads the initial consultation, develops the general plan, and then hands most of the actual drafting and client interaction to paralegals or legal assistants. That is not necessarily wrong, but it should be disclosed clearly and it may affect the quality and accuracy of the finished product.

When you work with Peter Moustakis at Sowerby & Moustakis, you are working with Peter. He leads the consultation, he reviews the documents, and he is available when questions arise. Our firm is intentionally structured to provide direct attorney access rather than a high-volume production model where you meet with an attorney once and then mostly communicate with staff.

This is a meaningful distinction. Estate planning is a personal process. Your situation has nuances. The attorney who understands those nuances should be involved in producing the documents that address them.

Ask directly: who will I be working with throughout this process, and what is the attorney’s role versus support staff’s role?

Question 4: Can You Help Me If I Have Assets or Ties in Both New Hampshire and Massachusetts?

Southern New Hampshire sits close enough to the Massachusetts border that many residents have financial lives that cross state lines. They may own rental property in Massachusetts, work for a Massachusetts employer with retirement benefits, or have family members in both states. Some clients are recent transplants from Massachusetts who still have accounts, real estate, or legal ties there.

Estate planning that ignores this complexity can create problems at the worst possible time. Property held in a different state than where you live may need to go through that state’s probate court if not titled appropriately. Beneficiary designations governed by employer plans in Massachusetts may have different rules than New Hampshire accounts.

Sowerby & Moustakis serves clients in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. If your situation involves both states, ask your attorney directly whether they are licensed and experienced in both jurisdictions. This is not a question to ask after you have signed your engagement letter.

Question 5: What Happens When I Need to Update My Plan?

An estate plan is not a one-time transaction. It is a living document that needs to reflect changes in your life, your family, and the law.

Marriages, divorces, births, deaths, significant asset changes, changes in health status, moves to a different state, and changes in tax law can all require updates to an estate plan. The question is: how does your attorney handle those updates, and what does it cost?

Some firms charge their full planning fee every time you need a revision. Others have a structured amendment process with transparent costs. Still others offer ongoing relationships where periodic reviews are part of the engagement.

Ask this question before you hire anyone: what does it look like if I need to update my plan in three years? What is the process, and what does it cost?

The answer tells you whether you are hiring an attorney who is thinking about the long-term outcome for your family or simply trying to close a transaction.

We believe in answering all of these questions before you hire us, because we think that is the right way to earn a client relationship. If you are evaluating estate planning attorneys in Southern New Hampshire, schedule a consultation with attorney Peter Moustakis by calling (603) 249-5925.