Kansas City, MO asked in Probate for Kansas

Q: I gave a lawyer $1500 to probate my mothers estate. It’s been 2 mo and he has not filed any paperwork. Is this normal?

He refused to return my emails or phone calls. He finally called after a nasty email I sent. I want to fire him but I will probably lose $500 and two months.

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: In Kansas, the process can take some time. That said, if two months have passed since he was supposed to file documents, and if he still hasn't after your recent phone call, you might be wise to at least touch base with another attorney. If the first one didn't do any work, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting your money back. Worst case scenario, you could file an ethics complaint -- but hopefully that could be avoided. I'd encourage you to reach out to another attorney to explore options.

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