Wills and trusts work covers the legal documents that decide who gets your property, who raises your kids if something happens to you, and who makes medical or financial decisions on your behalf if you can't. That includes a last will, a revocable living trust in many cases, a durable power of attorney, and a healthcare directive. Matthews has 6 attorneys and firms practicing in this area, ranging from solo practitioners who handle straightforward wills to firms that build out full trust structures for business owners and blended families.
The right fit depends on how complicated your situation is. A single person with a house and a retirement account usually needs a will, a power of attorney, and maybe a simple trust to avoid probate. Someone with a business, rental property, a second marriage, or a child with special needs needs a lawyer who does this work regularly and can explain the tradeoffs, not just fill in a template. Ask upfront about flat fees versus hourly billing, whether the quote includes both spouses' documents, how they handle updates down the road, and whether they also help with the probate side if a plan ever needs to be executed.
Credentials matter, but so does how a lawyer communicates. Look for someone who walks you through why a document is structured a certain way, returns calls promptly, and has handled cases like yours before, not just estate planning in general.
Our scores weigh experience, client feedback, responsiveness, and the breadth of services each attorney actually offers, so you can compare firms on more than just a name you found in a search. See the full ranked breakdown in our best estate planning attorneys in Matthews guide, and read how we score firms on the methodology page.