Hiring the Right Real Estate Lawyer
During the process of buying or selling property—or even owning or renting property—you may encounter situations in which you might need a real estate lawyer. If this happens, you may feel overwhelmed trying to choose the right lawyer to get the job done. Follow the tips outline below to help you make the right decision and choose the right lawyer to suit your specific needs.
Be Proactive: There’s nothing worse than having to scramble at the last minute to find a real estate lawyer to handle a situation that just came up. Take your time looking for someone when you don’t necessarily need their assistance, or when you know something is coming up but it hasn’t happened yet. Ask your friends, family and realtor for recommendations and schedule a phone interview or a consultation to see if it’s a good fit. This way, you won’t wind up choosing someone who may not be the right fit for your needs.
Find Reviews: Look around online or talk to people in your area to ask for recommendations. A few recommendations or positive reviews can help you see which real estate lawyers in your area are the best options and which ones you may want to stay away from.
Ask About Similar Cases: Call the lawyer you’re thinking of working with and ask specific questions. Don’t be afraid to explain your situation and ask if the lawyer has worked with any similar cases before. If so, you may even be able to ask for some general details, but remember that your lawyer won’t be able to give you a lot of information about someone else’s case.
Get Fees in Writing: Always ask for your lawyer’s fees in writing before you get very far into your communications with him or her. Also be sure to ask if there’s any chance of these changing in the near future. Having something signed and in writing from your lawyer can make a big difference when it comes time to talk money. Although most good lawyers won’t try to change the fees at the last minute, it always helps to know exactly what to expect when payment is expected.
Ask for References: Ask the lawyers you’re considering for references from happy clients. A good lawyer should have no problem putting you in touch with a few people who can validate their skills and abilities. When you call these references, be sure to ask specific questions rather than leaving it open-ended. Don’t ask, “Is this lawyer good?” but instead ask things like, “Did this lawyer help you reach an end result you were happy with?”
Of course, there are many other ways to settle real estate issues. Click here to read Ways To Settle Disputes Between Buyer and Seller
Contact us for your real estate needs. We are local area experts helping buyers and seller in the northeast valley.
