Q: It's been almost four years a legal team been working on a probate house. Is this normal or should I be worried?
It's been almost four years since a relitive died and we were contacted along with 20+ others. They've been sending us thick pages of updates every six months. The last package said they sold everything and were submitting their charges to the court to be oked. Nowhere in their paperwork does it say how much they got for everything. Any idea how long before after the sales are final will we be contacted?
A:
Most probates don't last that long. But, when they do, it is usually not the lawyers' fault. It is impossible from a description that will fit into a question on this forum for another lawyer reading the question to know why the probate took so long.
People understandably get anxious about open ended attorneys' fees. That why in my Nevada probate practice I usually offer my clients an agreed upon fee in advance. But I can only do this in uncontested cases and in cases where I have considered the issues that are likely to arise and know from my experience, the case is unlikely to turn into a four year project. Occasionally a client comes to me with a probate that I know has the potential to drag out and will only offer an hourly rate in such a case.
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