A wills, trusts, and estate lawyers specialize in the interpretation of laws and the planning of the transfer of property from one individual to someone else in the event of their death or incapacitation.
Real estate lawyers deal with estates and estate planning. Today, the definition of "Estate"has been expanded to include anything of value (even sentimental) and not just land and property. In addition to how a person wants their possessions to be distributed after death, estate and trust planning also covers other personal matters such as dealing with making funeral arrangements.
Many times an individual will be named (and in many cases it will be the trust and estate lawyer) to be responsible for maintaining or distributing the assets after someone dies. This is called estate administrator, and is done in compliance with the will and always must comply with state law.
An estate administrator must deal with tax and/or legal concerns so it is always a good idea to have a lawyer or tax professional as an advisor in such matters. An experienced estate lawyer can help the estate administrator with legal concerns, questions, and compliance and, more importantly, can be a guide to help people through this difficult time.
Everyone should have a will and the more complicated the estate, the more likely a qualified lawyer is needed in its creation and its execution. Every state has its own rules to follow as does the federal government regarding transference and taxation of estates so it's always a good idea to have good legal counsel when planning for one's wishes after death or carrying out these wishes.