The published fee ranges, how the billing structure changes what you actually owe, and the costs beyond the lawyer's fee that are easy to underbudget.
Some of the most common grounds for contesting a will, what each one is really about, and why disagreeing with the outcome is not one of them.
Why estate litigation is a different practice from estate planning, what to ask in a first consultation, and how to read the answer on fees.
What a probate litigation attorney actually does, the signs it's time to call one, and how the process usually unfolds after you hire one.
How Florida and Texas differ on witness requirements for a will, and which court has jurisdiction over a trust dispute in each state.
What each credential verifies: ACTEC Fellow's peer-election process and Florida Bar certification, from each organization's own published requirements.
What California's Certified Specialist program in estate, trust and probate law requires, and how to verify an attorney's status.
How Florida's Wills, Trusts and Estates board certification works, and how to check whether a named attorney currently holds it on the Bar's own roster.
When a trustee can be removed under Florida law, who can ask the court, and what a court can order instead of removal.
The reverse contingency fee some lawyers offer defendants in a will or trust dispute: how it's priced, the ABA's three conditions, and what isn't established.
Florida's two statutes for settling a matter by private agreement instead of court: §733.815's probate-code contract and §736.0111's trust-code agreement.
What the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel is, what its Fellow directory shows, and the self-reported caveat attached to every entry.
Who is allowed to bring a will contest, a threshold question separate from grounds, using Florida and California's own definitions as two worked examples.
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