Creating an estate plan is often more than just creating a will that oversees the disbursement of your wealth. Often, there are so many things to consider such as how to avoid financial issues and taxes as well as family conflicts when your heirs are about inheriting your property, avoiding probate for the sake of its cost and complexities, asset protection, planning for eventual disability, incapacity and retirement, and things of that sort. You may create an estate plan that even ruins your chances for qualifying for Medicaid and other government benefits. This is because there are legal criteria for these things and as you may lack appropriate knowledge, seeking assistance from a professional becomes highly crucial. An estate planning lawyer is one who has undergone years of training in estate planning and has come to understand all the laws affecting your estate and how to use them to your advantage.