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Started By
Message
Real Estate Lawyer
Posted on 2/28/17 at 10:39 am
Posted on 2/28/17 at 10:39 am
I buy and sell a few houses / year and find myself asking lawyer friends for legal advice when needed.
I'd like to find an attorney that specializes in real estate in the Baton Rouge area.
I'm assuming I could pay a retainer or something so I could simply call or email questions and be billed accordingly.
Havent had to actually pay for an attorney up to this point (been lucky).
Any suggestions for a real estate specific attorney in the BR area would be great. Additionally, what is a reasonable amount to expect to be billed? I'm assuming around $100/hr.
Am I way off?
I'd like to find an attorney that specializes in real estate in the Baton Rouge area.
I'm assuming I could pay a retainer or something so I could simply call or email questions and be billed accordingly.
Havent had to actually pay for an attorney up to this point (been lucky).
Any suggestions for a real estate specific attorney in the BR area would be great. Additionally, what is a reasonable amount to expect to be billed? I'm assuming around $100/hr.
Am I way off?
4
Posted on 2/28/17 at 10:53 am to blueboxer1119
I dont know what a real estate attorney charges but a good independent mechanic is around $100/hour these days. Good attorneys are over $1000/hr, not sure what you will find at $100/hr.
Posted on 2/28/17 at 10:54 am to blueboxer1119
I would be skeptical of any attorney charging less than $200/hr. I'd expect to pay $250/hr or so for a quality lawyer that can capably handle residential acquisition/disposition and title/land use issues. Assuming your transactions are based off of promulgated forms, this attorney should be well versed with those forms and review/revise efficiently.
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:07 am to dabigfella
quote:
Good attorneys are over $1000/hr
You can find a very good attorney in the South for less than $1000/hour, a lot less
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:15 am to dabigfella
quote:
Good attorneys are over $1000/hr,
I mean, this isn't NYC.
I think going purely off of hourly rates is probably not the best way to judge a lawyer's ability.
To the OP - I practice RE transactional work in the BR area. I have several clients who send me closings. They ask random questions at random times and I don't send them a bill as they are clients whose business I value. It's also not worth the time to write down every 3 minute conversation and bill it.
Having said that, they also don't have me on the phone for 5 hours in a month answering questions.
To help you a little better what would the nature of the questions be? Are you asking questions about purchase agreements? Questions about servitudes, liens, tax sales, sheriff's sales, etc?
This post was edited on 2/28/17 at 11:16 am
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:25 am to rmc
Im not talking NYC, I have one right now handling a litigation issue for me in houston, and he's at $750/hr and I thought it was alot but after asking around it seems $1000+ isn't ridiculous these days if you want the best.
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:43 am to dabigfella
quote:
Good attorneys are over $1000/hr, not sure what you will find at $100/hr.
Incorrect.
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:47 am to dabigfella
quote:For extremely complex litigation you might get to $1000 an hour, but for random real estate law questions? I'd guess $175-200 an hour for much of Louisiana.
I have one right now handling a litigation issue for me in houston
I've seen complex business litigation with some of the best attorneys in LA bill at around $500 an hour.
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:50 am to rmc
quote:
To help you a little better what would the nature of the questions be? Are you asking questions about purchase agreements? Questions about servitudes, liens, tax sales, sheriff's sales, etc?
Pretty much.
For example, I'm trying to change the wording on a standard purchase agreement to make it more "custom" to what works for me. Just want to make sure it is done properly.
Posted on 2/28/17 at 12:02 pm to blueboxer1119
I have one in Lafayette. I text/call/email when the need arises. Never charges for it.
But, I send him closings. My son recently bought a house and we communicated several times regarding servitudes, mortgage insurance, etc. He gave us a "frequent flyer" discount at closing to boot.
Same with my CPA. Questions throughout the year, or at tax time are not additional. Just her fees for tax preparation.
rmc^^^ has some good advice in his post.
But, I send him closings. My son recently bought a house and we communicated several times regarding servitudes, mortgage insurance, etc. He gave us a "frequent flyer" discount at closing to boot.
Same with my CPA. Questions throughout the year, or at tax time are not additional. Just her fees for tax preparation.
rmc^^^ has some good advice in his post.
This post was edited on 2/28/17 at 12:04 pm
Posted on 2/28/17 at 12:16 pm to blueboxer1119
my RE atty is $250/hr
Posted on 2/28/17 at 6:58 pm to ItNeverRains
mine in Houston is $450/hr. $650 for new clients... 
Posted on 2/28/17 at 11:04 pm to sstig
Most title company attorneys will do this for free as long as you are sending them steady business.
Posted on 3/1/17 at 9:51 pm to LSU1018
quote:
Most title company attorneys will do this for free as long as you are sending them steady business.
This. Just find a good title company and make friends by sending them business
Posted on 3/1/17 at 10:12 pm to blueboxer1119
quote:
For example, I'm trying to change the wording on a standard purchase agreement to make it more "custom" to what works for me. Just want to make sure it is done properly.
I certainly don't want to beat another lawyer out of money, but if you are sending someone several closings a year I'd call and ask if they had 5 minutes to answer some questions. If they didn't or if they charge I'd go to another title company.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 7:39 am to blueboxer1119
I live in Los Angeles and I look at retainer/fee agreements all day long and I've never seen anything close to $1000 an hour. I'm sure a partner at skadden and Latham Watkins can get away with charging that much, but on average, an experienced attorney at a respected boutique firm is in the $500-600 range.
This post was edited on 3/2/17 at 7:42 am
Posted on 3/2/17 at 7:46 am to 632627
I can see a Houston big law partner charging that much. I would be hard pressed to pay that though. I'm not sure who in Baton Rouge could bring that much. But more power to them if someone is willing to pay them.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 9:07 am to dabigfella
quote:
I don't where you're looking but $1500/hour isn't nuts in large markets these days my man here's a piece fortune ran on the matter
That's not nuts for certain extreme specialties sure, but just because one lawyer in Houston charges that doesn't mean they all do. I can assure you the vast majority of lawyers in Houston still charge $250-400/ hour.
Op, as said the best recommendation is to make a deal with a closing attorney. You don't need a real estate attorney as much as you do a closing attorney.
Posted on 3/2/17 at 11:53 am to dabigfella
Louisiana's current state reimbursement rate set by the attorney general is something like $125-$400/hr, depending on the matter. IOW, this is what public entities are paying attorneys in LA...which is a decent enough benchmark of the profession. No one in LA is paying $1K/hr for real estate advice.
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