Buying a house or property is perhaps the most important financial investment that people make, and in case of a real estate transaction most individuals consider talking to their agent or broker. If the deal is too complicated, it makes sense that you consult with an experienced real estate attorney to protect yourself from being duped. You will be surprised to know that not all real-estate agents have the license to practice law, nor are they equipped with the information required to review surveys or alert the buyers regarding potential issues that might cost them heavily in the future.
Just because a lawyer says that he practices real-estate law does not make him the right choice for you. There are some very important details that you must consider before choosing a right attorney to advise you in your real estate project. When looking for an attorney, here are five important things that you must ask before hiring an individual.
First of all, it is necessary to ask the attorney how long he or she has been practicing, and this will help you determine the amount of legal experience that the lawyer has. If you are seeking assistance with something simple such as making a purchase agreement, an attorney with two to three years of experience may be enough. However, if you are dealing with complex situations such as a real estate development, you might want to hire a professional that has about 8 to 15 years of experience.
Second important question that you must ask to the attorney is how many cases similar like yours he or she has handled in the past. It is important to remember that not all real estate cases are handled equally so it will help if the attorney has had an experience in handling cases like yours before.
Third important question that you must ask your attorney is how they want to handle the case. You have all the rights to ask the lawyer what he or she plans to do in your behalf. In fact this is a good method to find out whether or not the individual is knowledgeable. A reliable real estate lawyer will know exactly what needs to be done and he will be able to give you a brief outline of his plan, whereas an attorney that has no idea what he or she is talking about will make excuses.
Fourth important question that you must ask the professional is how he or she will bill you. Knowing the actual fee of the lawyer will ensure that you do not have any surprises later on. Most of the lawyers out there charge their clients on hourly basis so it’s always wise to inquire about the fees.
Finally, the fifth and one of the most important questions to ask to your attorney is who will be working on your case. Many times the law firms hand off the cases to juniors or to other experienced professionals so make sure you know who will work on your case and whether you are comfortable with him or her.