Professionals to Lean on for Your Estate Plan
When people think about estate planning, they often picture a single document or a single meeting with a lawyer. In reality, a strong estate plan is built through collaboration. As an estate planning attorney, I guide my clients through the legal side, but I am rarely the only professional involved.
Your financial life, your long-term goals, and your family’s needs are interconnected, and having the right team around you can make the entire process clearer, smoother, and far more effective.
Below are the professionals I most often work with and how each one contributes to a comprehensive estate plan.
Working With an Estate Planning Attorney
My role as an estate planning attorney is to help you put the legal structure in place. That usually includes preparing wills, trusts, advance directives, and other necessary documents.
In my work, I focus on understanding what matters most to you so we can create a plan that reflects your wishes with clarity. My job is to help you put your intentions into legally enforceable form, avoid unnecessary disputes, and make things easier for the people who will one day step in to help carry out your wishes.
But an estate plan isn’t only about documents, and that’s why additional professionals play such a meaningful role.
More > Why a Will is Not Enough in Your Estate Plan
How a Financial Planner Supports Your Long-Term Goals
A financial planner helps you look at the bigger picture: retirement goals, investment strategies, long-term care considerations, and how your assets are positioned over time.
When a financial planner and attorney work together, we’re able to align your financial strategy with your legal planning. For example:
Ensuring that beneficiary designations match your estate plan
Reviewing whether a trust aligns with your financial goals
Planning for long-term care or aging-related expenses
Clients often find this collaboration reassuring because it gives them a clearer picture of how each part of their plan fits together. I have some that I can refer to you if you don’t have a current partner in place.
The Role of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
A CPA helps evaluate the tax implications of your estate planning decisions. While not every estate faces complex tax issues, many clients benefit from understanding how gifts, inheritances, business interests, or charitable plans may be treated from a tax perspective.
A CPA can support you by:
Reviewing the tax impact of certain transfers
Helping organize business or property records
Providing guidance on lifetime gifting strategies
Preparing tax documents that relate to probate or trust administration
I regularly communicate with my clients’ CPAs to ensure that their estate plan aligns with their overall financial and tax picture. Even small inconsistencies can create challenges later, so having a CPA involved can prevent unnecessary complications.
When a Life or Disability Insurance Agent Becomes Part of the Process
Insurance is an important, but often overlooked, piece of estate planning. Life insurance can provide liquidity for your beneficiaries, help equalize inheritances, or support your family during a difficult transition. Disability insurance can protect you and your income if something unexpected happens.
An insurance professional helps you evaluate whether your current coverage still meets your needs, how insurance proceeds fit into your broader plan, and whether long-term care insurance should be part of your strategy.
When I work with clients who have insurance policies, I make sure that ownership and beneficiary designations are consistent with the legal documents we prepare. This is an area where professional coordination matters greatly, because small errors can change how benefits are distributed. During our consultation, I may note some agents to contact and see if they may be a fit for your unique situation.
Why a Collaborative Team Creates a Stronger Estate Plan
No single professional sees the full picture the way a coordinated team does. When I work with my clients’ financial planners, CPAs, and insurance agents, we are able to create an estate plan that is legally sound, financially aligned, and tailored to real-world needs.
A collaborative approach helps ensure your documents match your financial and tax strategy, your beneficiaries are designated correctly, and your plan adapts as your life circumstances change.
Estate planning is not a one-time task. It is a living process, and having a trusted group of professionals makes that process more thoughtful and secure.
Start Building Your Estate Planning Team
If you are beginning to think about your estate plan or updating an existing one, know that you do not have to navigate it alone. With the right team in place, your estate plan becomes more than paperwork—it becomes a clear expression of your priorities and a gift of clarity to the people you care about most.
If you’d like to build or refine your estate plan, I am here to help guide you through every step. I’m happy to connect you with others who share the same care about protecting your families' futures as I do. Reach out to me, Elaine McGinnis P.A., today.