Real estate and property law also comprise the financing aspects of property, such as mortgages, liens, and foreclosures. If you have purchased or are thinking about purchasing real estate property, whether you are considering a house, a commercial building or a piece of land, you may want to consult with a real estate lawyer in order to protect yourself from any unforeseen liabilities that might be attached to the property.
Whether you are buying, selling or refinancing your property, deciding which real estate lawyer you wish to work with is an important step.
Real estate contracts tend to be full of legal jargon that can be difficult for the average person to understand. However, if you have selected the right attorney to assist you with the real estate transaction, he or she can help relieve you from the stress of the deal by ensuring that all of your documents are in order and ready to be signed, that the deed has been drafted, and all the necessary paperwork has been done according to the law. Selecting the right real estate attorney will go a long way to ensuring that your house buying or selling process is a smooth one.
Here are some tips on choosing the real estate lawyer for you to work with:
1. Choose a real estate lawyer
It seems obvious, but some clients make the mistake of addressing any lawyer. For example, some might choose a family friend who helped with the divorce or the lawyer who is close to them. Not every lawyer can help you in real estate. Legislation is complex and constantly changing, and experienced real estate lawyers have had a number of cases, much like yours. Ask a lawyer who deals with this area, and you will have the expected results.
2. Experience matters
Your real estate lawyer should have several hundred or better yet, thousands of transactions and several years of experience. This means that the lawyer will have pretty much seen it all and can provide the right guidance and advice during the course of your transaction.
3. Choose an honest lawyer
Many attorneys offer an initial consultation free of charge. Take advantage of this. Use the meeting to determine whether the attorney is honest and forthcoming. Instinctively, some people have the ability to determine an individual’s character within a few minutes of interacting with the person; however, there are a few personality traits that can also tip you off. Also, ask the attorney about your case’s chance of success or failure. If the lawyer sounds unusually optimistic and doesn’t tell you any of the risks or downplays the costs associated with the case, he or she is probably not being honest. Remember, there are downsides and risks to almost every case!
4. Contact the Bar association
The bar association will be able to provide you with a list of attorneys in your area that specialize in real estate law. Using the state bar as a resource has the added benefit of ensuring that the attorney you choose is properly licensed to practice law in your location. You typically can either call the bar association or visit their website to find such a list of attorneys.
5. Lawyers can do what real estate agents can`t
In some transactions it is recommended to go to a lawyer, it will not only rely on the legal advice given by the real estate agent. Sometimes real estate agents do not have the necessary legal training, and their contracts are usually just standard forms. A real estate lawyer can issue some special clauses and will be able to customize the sale-purchase contract, which an agent certainly can’t. Any transaction involving specific details should be supported by a lawyer specialized in the field of real estate.
6. Examine lawyer reviews
Many resources exist online that allow clients to provide reviews of attorneys whom they have hired to represent them in different types of legal matters. By reviewing other individuals’ experiences with a particular attorney, you can judge whether an attorney might be the right fit for you.
7. Don’t call a lawyer too late
Many times it happens to call a lawyer when you already signed a contract and found clauses that you don’t like, or when you have already been sued for debt recovery, and now you are looking for a lawyer to help you. Therefore, contact a lawyer before you encounter problems so that they can support you with timely solutions. For example, if you have already purchased a property and found some unpaid taxes but it’s too late, you’re the owner and you’re responsible for what you’ve bought. An action in court involves the lawyer’s payment, court costs and other costs. If you have already hired a lawyer from the very beginning, you won’t have this kind of problems anymore. Obviously, hiring a Romanian law firm costs, but in this way you will save much later expenses.
