Hiring Beyond Skills: What Estate Planning Firm Owners Should Really Look For

Hiring in an estate planning practice often begins the same way. A resume is reviewed, credentials are assessed, and experience is weighed against the immediate needs of the firm. Those steps are necessary, but they are rarely sufficient. 

The hires that strengthen a firm over time tend to be chosen for qualities that are harder to quantify and far more consequential.

Skill can get someone in the door. What they bring beyond skill determines whether they contribute to the firm’s growth or quietly limit it.

Competence Is the Baseline, Not the Differentiator

Technical ability matters. A team member must be able to perform the work required of their role. But in most hiring situations, especially in today’s market, multiple candidates will meet that bar. When every finalist is capable, the decision shifts from what they can do to how they do it.

This is where many firms default to instinct without structure. The result is inconsistent hiring decisions that feel right in the moment but reveal gaps over time.

A more reliable approach is to define, in advance, the non-technical traits that align with how your firm operates and grows.

Look for Good Judgment

Estate planning is not a purely transactional service. Clients arrive with uncertainty, emotion, and often incomplete information. No checklist can anticipate every situation your team will encounter.

Look for people who:

• Pause before rushing through a task
• Ask clarifying questions
• Recognize when something needs attention

A simple way to test this is through real scenarios:

• A confused client who is asking the same question repeatedly
• A missing detail in a nearly completed file
• A breakdown in internal communication

You are not looking for perfect answers. You are listening for how they think.

Look for Ownership

Two employees can hold the same position and produce very different outcomes. One completes assigned tasks. The other takes responsibility for the result.

Ownership shows up in small ways:

• Following up without being asked
• Closing loops with clients
• Fixing issues instead of passing them along

Over time, those small actions shape how your firm runs.

Listen carefully to how candidates describe past roles:

• Do they talk about tasks or outcomes
• Do they mention problems they helped solve
• Do they take responsibility for results

That language tells you more than a resume ever will.

Communication Is a Client Experience Decision

In an estate planning firm, communication is not a soft skill. It is central to the client experience. 

Clients remember:

• How clearly things were explained
• How quickly they received answers
• How comfortable they felt asking questions

This is often driven by your non-attorney team.

During interviews, pay attention to:

• Clarity in their answers
• Ability to adjust explanations
• Awareness of how their role affects others

Strong communicators reduce friction across the entire firm.

Cultural Alignment Is About Behavior, Not Personality

“Culture fit” is frequently cited and rarely defined. In practice, it should have less to do with personality and more to do with how work gets done in your firm.

Consider the behaviors that drive your best outcomes. This might include attention to detail, responsiveness, accountability, or a commitment to follow through. These are observable and measurable over time.

When interviewing, connect questions back to these behaviors. Ask for specific examples. Look for consistency. A candidate does not need to mirror your personality or background to align with your culture. They do need to operate in a way that supports it.

Hiring for Growth, Not Just for Today

It is easy to hire for immediate relief.

A backlog builds. The team feels stretched. The pressure to fill a role increases.

But short-term hiring often creates long term limitations.

Instead, consider:

• What this role will look like in a year
• What responsibilities may expand
• How much initiative will be required

Candidates who can grow into the role tend to create more lasting value.

Keep Your Process Simple

Hiring beyond skills does not require a complex system. It does require clarity and consistency.

Define the few non-technical traits that matter most to your firm. Build interview questions that reveal those traits. Involve team members who understand the day-to-day realities of the role. Compare candidates against the same criteria rather than relying on general impressions.

Over time, this approach produces a team that operates with greater cohesion and less friction. It also reduces the need to revisit the same hiring challenges again and again.

The Compounding Effect of the Right Hire

Every hire changes something.

How work flows.
How clients experience your firm.
How your team performs day to day.

Over time, those changes compound.

Firms that hire beyond skills tend to see:

• Fewer internal breakdowns
• Stronger client relationships
• More stable, sustainable growth

Hiring stops being a reactive task. It becomes a leadership decision that shapes the future of the firm.

Rita Chaires
Director, Integrated Member Services
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com