If you're ready to work on your estate plan, the first thing you need to do is hire an attorney. Estate planning isn't something you should tackle by yourself, especially if you want to avoid making mistakes. After all, even a simple mistake can come back to cause problems for your loved ones later. Here are just four of the many reasons why estate planning requires legal services.

1. Your Estate Plan Isn't Complete

If you have an active will, you've made a great first step towards completing your estate plan. However, a will isn't the only document you'll need. In fact, there are actually several documents you'll need for a complete estate plan, including medical and durable powers of attorney, as well a form for the final disposition of your remains. If your estate plan doesn't contain all the necessary forms and documentation, it's not complete. Legal services will take a look at your estate plan and make sure that everything is in order.

2. You Want to Save Time and Money

If you're trying to save money by taking care of your estate planning on your own, you may find that you're actually wasting in. In fact, you may find that you're wasting valuable time too. You may not realize all the steps you need to take to complete your own estate plans, or the money you'll pay for each of the documents you need to fill out on your own. When you consider all the time and money you're spending to research and document your own estate plan, as well as the time that's being taken away from other things that you should be doing, you find that you're actually better off having an attorney take care of the estate details for you.

3. You Have Minor Children

If you have minor children, don't try to take care of your own estate planning. Making sure that your children are taken care of after your passing requires legal experience. Your estate plan will require additional time, attention, and legal documentation to ensure that the needs of your children are properly protected.

4. Your Estate Needs Are Complicated

If your estate needs are complicated, you can't afford to try and go it alone on the estate plans. If you're not sure your estate qualifies as being complicated, consider the following issues:

• Multiple beneficiaries
• Real estate or investment holdings
• Business Holdings
• Disinherited family members

If your estate will include any of the issues described above, you need legal services to ensure that your estate plan is completed properly. For more information, contact a company like Johnson/Turner Legal.