When you are working on a real estate transaction, you want to work with someone you trust to guide you through the process correctly. Most of the time, people will contact a real estate agent to help them buy or sell a home. There are some instances where a real estate lawyer is the best option. If there are any legal questions regarding the property, documents, or other laws, it is best to have a real estate lawyer on your side. But just because a person practices real estate law doesn’t mean that person is the best one for the job. Here are a few questions to ask a real estate lawyer when you are deciding whether or not to hire them.

-How long have you been in practice?
You want to hire someone with enough experience to cover all the bases. A lawyer fresh out of law school isn’t necessarily a bad choice, but they also may not have the necessary knowledge and experience since they have not seen many cases yet. If your case is simple and you need a purchase agreement, a lawyer with 1-3 years of experience is fine. If it’s more complicated, look for someone with 8 or more years of experience.

-How many similar cases have you had?
You want a real estate lawyer who has dealt with cases just like yours and knows how to handle them. If they have never seen anything like your case, you might want to find someone different who has had success in that area.

-What would you do with the case?
As part of the consultation, ask the lawyer what they plan to do for your case so you can determine if they are headed in a direction you see fit. If you get an ambiguous answer, move on.

-How does billing work?
You need to avoid going way above your budget in fees. Know the hourly fees and how many hours your lawyer plans to use for your case so you have a good idea how much the real estate lawyer will cost.

These questions will help you find the right lawyer for your real estate-related job.