Ever wonder what it takes to be a truly great trust attorney?

The truth is that this requires more than a great education. And it even requires more than great passion on behalf of your clients.

There are actually eight key qualities that define the greatest trust attorneys in the world. And by mastering these qualities, you will be more successful than ever before.

Want to learn more? Keep reading to discover these secrets!

1. Honesty

In popular culture, lawyers are often portrayed as untrustworthy. In the real world, being honest and trustworthy is one of the most important qualities.

Clients look to lawyers as problem solvers, and it’s tempting to always tell those clients what they want to hear. However, there may be times when you have to break some bad news to even the very best clients.

As a trust attorney, you need to be honest and upfront about client expectations and the likelihood of certain outcomes. In the long run, clients will respect your honesty and realize that they can trust what you have to say on various matters.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

Another lawyer stereotype is that they are very expensive. This is why clients are especially responsive to a trust attorney who is genuinely cost-effective.

That doesn’t mean pricing yourself out of business. Instead, you should focus on the kinds of solutions for your clients that save them as much money as possible.

This approach helps clients to look at your services as a kind of investment. In short, they are quite happy to pay for your services upfront when they can see the tangible benefits of your services in the coming years.

This is why the best trust attorneys are innovators.

3. Special Experience

It’s easier said than done, but the best trust attorneys are the ones with a good amount of experience under their belt. And this pays off for both attorney and client in a number of exciting ways.

First, experience will help you discover unique solutions to client problems you may otherwise have never imagined. Eventually, your legal toolbox will be filled to the brim with dynamic solutions.

Second, experience means that clients are talking about you. Your business will only grow as interested clients discover things like online reviews, social media feedback, and old-fashioned word of mouth.

4. Highly Responsive

Here’s an open secret in the legal world: you are only as good as your clients think you are.

For instance, you might be the busiest and most devoted trust attorney in history. However, if clients cannot easily reach you, they will become convinced you are ignoring them.

Be sure to always call clients back as soon as you can and respond quickly to their e-mails. And set up digital reminders to follow up with your clients every week, even when there is not much new to report.

At the end of the day, clients are paying you for your time. And respecting their own time makes them think they are getting their money’s worth.

5. A “People” Person

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of being honest and trustworthy. On a related note, a good trust attorney must also be a people person.

Your profession will involve asking clients to open up about things that will make them feel vulnerable and even frightened. Along with your legal duties, it is your responsibility to help such clients feel reassured about the decisions they are making.

While not a requirement, it helps if you have a very extroverted personality. Such attorneys essentially feed off the energy of new interactions, and this energy can help overpower the fears and concerns of nervous clients.

6. Tax Expertise

Earlier, we discussed the importance of developing an overall body of experience. However, it’s also important to get as much tax experience and expertise as you possibly can.

For trust attorneys, clients are typically balancing a variety of plans such as IRAs, 401(k)s, and stock incentives. And all of these plans are tied intimately to various federal and state laws affecting individual taxes.

By understanding the ins and outs of how tax laws work, you can provide the best possible service for your clients. Furthermore, you will be able to provide those clients with a variety of options that helps them discover the estate planning that works best for them and their families.

7. Business Experience

For many clients, estate planning does not exist within a vacuum. Instead, they are planning their trusts alongside planning their family business affairs.

These clients are going to need a trust attorney that has a great deal of business experience. For instance, you should know how their role within a company will affect both business governance and private estate planning.

Such experience is doubly important because no two family-owned businesses are exactly the same. And even if two similar businesses have similar estate planning goals, the best way to accomplish those goals may be very different.

8. Solid Resources

John Donne once wrote that no man is an island unto himself. As it turns out, Donne could have been writing about trust attorneys in particular!

No matter how much training and experience you have, you won’t be able to do everything and know everything on your own. That is why you need to have a solid support system of resources in place.

This may include the resources that come with joining a firm. Alternately, it may be experienced colleagues that you can trust for answers and advice.

Ultimately, this is why creative networking is so important earlier in your career. The larger your network grows, the more resources you can draw on to help your clients.

A Good Trust Attorney: The Bottom Line

Now you know what qualities make for a good trust attorney. But do you know how else to take charge of your career?

Mike McRitchie specializes in helping with everything from boring resumes to LinkedIn marketing. To see how he can take your career to the next level, check out his services today!