Lawyers

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I got out the phone book. Yeah, they still make old fashion phone books. I noticed there was page after page after page of ads for lawyers. It turns out there were 73 pages of ads for lawyers. In the yellow pages, there 657 pages of ads. Turns out 11% of the entire yellow pages were ads for lawyers.

Noticing all the lawyer ads isn't a cure for cancer, or change the world; but, damn, we got a lot of lawyers.
 

My dear friend asked me to be the executor of his estate. when he died his lawyer referred me to the Houston Lawyer referral service. I needed a probate lawyer and I was able to meet with one for 30 minutes for $20.00. he told me in advance what to bring. We went over the will, etc and said his rate was $350.00 an hour and he had not changed his rate in the last 5 years. Since I had contacted him through the referral service that is what he would charge me. My friend had most of his assets in pay on death or beneficiaries on his policies so those I could handle without a lawyers service. What was left was handled by the lawyer and he billed the estate for the time he spent which amounted to around $3000.00 which the lawyer who drew up the will had told me to expect. It was pretty simple and I did not have to have but 2 meetings with the lawyer and 3 phone calls. So I would advise anyone to google the lawyer referral service for your area as that 30 minute meeting for $20.00 saved the estate some money. I had also checked around and the going rate for my area was $650-900.00 an hour so I got by cheap for 350.00 an hour. And yes I checked his bill and it came out to $350.00 an hour.
 
Sometimes if you can do it pay a lawyer a retainer fee for the ability to ask questions through out the year that is cheaper than a issue by issue basis-for those who seem to need constant legal advice or for seem have alot of legal consequences to deal with.
 

I agree Falcon. I had forgotten that when you go through probate and am listed as executor that its all part of the public record. Its been 2 years and I am still getting letters from so called estate "helpers" wanting to know if any property was involved as they are willing to take the house or land off your hands for a "reasonable" price. There wasn't any property or land as my friend moved into an assisted living facility before he died and then we had hospice. Its amazing what comes out of the woodwork especially long lost cousins wondering if they are in the will. I have had enough of lawyers and real estate people wanting to ease my burdens! I don't see how they make a living either!.
 
terry123 said:
I agree Falcon. I had forgotten that when you go through probate and am listed as executor that its all part of the public record. Its been 2 years and I am still getting letters from so called estate "helpers" wanting to know if any property was involved as they are willing to take the house or land off your hands for a "reasonable" price. There wasn't any property or land as my friend moved into an assisted living facility before he died and then we had hospice. Its amazing what comes out of the woodwork especially long lost cousins wondering if they are in the will. I have had enough of lawyers and real estate people wanting to ease my burdens! I don't see how they make a living either!.
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This kind of thing is why I have set up my estate (such as it is) so it will not have to go through probate at all. New Mexico has recently made "Transfer on Death" deeds legal, so you can prepare a deed which transfers your real estate upon your death to whomever you wish without having to go through probate. Nothing else really requires probate unless you've got a complicated situation with many heirs and remaindermen, etc. Probate is a can of worms and is expensive and time consuming, and I don't want my son to have to spend whatever money I leave on probate.
 
Butterfly said:
This kind of thing is why I have set up my estate (such as it is) so it will not have to go through probate at all. New Mexico has recently made "Transfer on Death" deeds legal, so you can prepare a deed which transfers your real estate upon your death to whomever you wish without having to go through probate. Nothing else really requires probate unless you've got a complicated situation with many heirs and remaindermen, etc. Probate is a can of worms and is expensive and time consuming, and I don't want my son to have to spend whatever money I leave on probate.
Click to expand...

I've tried to do the same thing by using beneficiaries on my bank and investment accounts.
 
Fred: Hey Bill, what do you call a bus load of lawyers going over a cliff with three empty seats?
Bill: I don't know.
Fred: A damn shame.

Fred: Hey Bill, how can you tell if a lawyer is lying?
Bill: I don't know.
Fred: His lips are moving.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I've tried to do the same thing by using beneficiaries on my bank and investment accounts.
Click to expand...

I've done that, too. It's really pretty simple, and will save a lot of hassle. I'm still looking for a foolproof way to be sure my dog would be taken care of. My son would gladly take her, but he travels all the time, all over the place, for his work. He will be in one place a month, another for three or four months, etc., so it's not practical or possible for him to take her. She really isn't re-adoptable, because of all her health issues, most of which arose out of the lousy way she was treated before I got her. What I'm hoping to find, is someone who would take her, with the proviso that I'd leave $$$ with my vet for her care.
 
Interesting. I looked up the estimated costs for handling my aunt's estate last year and it came to $A 4,688.86 for probate, and estate administration at an hourly rate of $A 330.00 (incl. GST) for work undertaken by a paralegal and $A 412.50 (incl. GST) for work undertaken by a Solicitor. Estimate of professional fees, disbursements and internal expenses came to $A 7,663.36

The final account was much the same as the estimate.

GST is a Goods and Service Tax set at 10%
 

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