What Should You Ask a Real Estate Lawyer When Buying a Condo?

Expertise

Real estate lawyer are not all the same. Some specialize in certain areas of real estate law that may not be especially helpful to a condo buyer. For example, some real estate lawyers focus only on commercial transactions, and may not know a lot about residential home-buying. You'll want to make sure your lawyer has experience with condominium transactions, and has advised clients on these purchases in the past. Of course, you'll also want to make sure the lawyer is licensed to practice law in your state, or at least maintains local counsel.

Real estate lawyers typically act in one of two capacities when working with condominium-buyers: as a contract reviewer or a litigator. If you're hiring the lawyer to review your real estate contract, make sure the lawyer has experience with this procedure. Ask if the lawyer typically represents buyers or sellers. Ask what kinds of problems can arise, and where potential problems with the contract are.

What happens if something goes bad? You'll want to ask the attorney if he is prepared to bring a lawsuit to pursue your interests. If so, what will this process involve? What will a lawsuit cost? What decisions will be up to you to make, and what will the lawyer decide?

Your attorney can't do everything alone. You'll want to ask her what your role in the process is. What documentation do you need to get? What role will you play in any negotiations? What role will the attorney play? If the case ends up in a trial, what effect might that have on your life? Remember, a lawyer works for you, but you can do a lot to make her job easier for both of you.

Of course, you'll also want to know how much the lawyer's services costs. Some attorneys charge a flat fee, meaning you pay them a single lump sum. Others charge by the hour, or even on a contingent basis. You'll want to be upfront and certain about what the lawyer's fees are, and what the estimated costs are for various situations.