More often than not, you will find that people have different attorneys for all their legal requirements. For example, a divorce attorney for marital settlement cases or a criminal attorney such as Barnes Law Firm if faced with criminal charges. However, the sad thing is that this trend is not that common when it comes to matters of real estate.
It is not a surprise to find that some people are not even aware that real estate attorneys exist. With the nature of complexity and challenges involved in real-estate businesses, it begs the question of why people would not seek the best legal assistance there is.
A simple definition of a real estate attorney would be a lawyer that has been equipped with the relevant skills on issues related to properties and real estate transactions. This implies that their role is to oversee the legal process involved in the buying or selling property with a view of ensuring that the client’s rights and interests are catered for in a fair manner. In certain states, there are laws dictating that a real estate attorney must be present during the closing of real estate transactions.
However, if you live in a state where such laws are not existent, it would be still in your best interest to hire yourself one. If you are already looking to hire a real estate lawyer, continue reading through the article for tips on how to find a reliable professional.
Important Functions of an Attorney in Real Estate Transactions
Before hiring an attorney, it is important to understand the situations when you may require their assistance. Some of the services you can expect from them include:
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Title search
This is important in situations where you are using your property to secure a loan. The lender may require that the attorney assess records about the property in the county land offices before closing the deal. In other cases, you may request the attorney to examine the records to ensure the property you are buying is free from other people’s claim, it does not have unpaid land rates and that the title is not defective.
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Preparation/ examination of real estate contract
In order to protect your interests and rights, it is important that you have your real estate lawyer draft the contract for you. Also, if the contact has already been drafted by the seller, have the lawyer go through it and interpret it for you. This way, the lawyer will be able to advise you or bring up issues that violate your rights.
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Closing
Your attorney should take up the role of preparing all the relevant documents for closing. They should also explain to the parties involved in the documentation to facilitate smooth execution and recording. They should also be in charge of planning for the said closing. The closing process may be confusing so ensure that you seek enough clarification from your attorney.
How to Hire a Real-Estate Attorney
It is important to conduct due diligence before settling on the real-estate lawyer to use. The following guide may help you in making a more informed decision
- Have they specialized in real-estate law?
- Do they have enough years of experience practicing this law?
- In these years, how many real-estate related cases have they handled?
- How much do they charge?
The important thing to always remember when engaging in real estate transactions is that there is a lot of money involved. As such, there is a need for you to take all the relevant measures to protect what is yours. One way to do this is by hiring yourself a reliable real-estate attorney.
