8 Things You Need To Know Before Hiring An Edmonton Real Estate Lawyer

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Do You Need to Hire an Edmonton Real Estate Lawyer?

Finding the right edmonton real estate lawyer doesn’t have to be a hassle. We give you the information you need to make the best choice for you!

It would be great if we could all be like celebrities and buy as many homes as we wish. We can just spend more, buy off the market, and sell when we want to.

Of course, for most of us, buying a home isn’t such an easy decision to make. Even if it’s such a great investment, some people would do better not to purchase one – at least for the time being. These include folks who tend to move yearly, have little job security or bad credit, etc.

So if you’re considering Edmonton real estate, you better make sure you’re not getting a bad deal. A real estate lawyer can help you with this. But you have to choose one who has your best interests at heart.

How to Hire the Right Edmonton Real Estate Lawyer

No matter where you are or plan to relocate, you won’t have any trouble finding real estate lawyers. In fact, you can find a lot of them just by doing a quick Google search.

Finding the right one though is a bit harder. But don’t worry. A bit of research is all you need to have the best Edmonton real estate lawyer in your corner.

That said, here are the top 8 things you need to know before hiring one.

1. Don’t Waste Time

Ideally, you should be looking for an excellent real estate lawyer when you start looking for a new home. You can’t trust that your agent or broker will know all the answers to your legal questions.

Now, some homeowners may say that a real estate lawyer is just an added expense. They might tell you that they were able to purchase their homes with no assistance whatsoever from a lawyer.

Keep in mind, however, that not all real estate transactions go as smoothly as planned. Sometimes, legal problems arise that requires a good real estate lawyer. If there are liens on the property, for example, you can’t expect your agent or broker to sort it out for you.

You need someone who has the experience and expertise to advise you on how best to proceed.

2. Experience is a Must

If you already have an Edmonton real estate lawyer in mind, don’t hesitate to ask him or her about his/her experience. Find out how long they’ve been practicing and if they frequently handle cases like yours.

The more experience they have in handling similar cases, the more deftly they can foresee potential problems. Another tip: if you have lawyer friends in other fields, you can ask them for recommendations or you can ask friends and relatives for their referrals.

3. Refine Your Search

Let’s say you didn’t get any referrals from your friends and family. Or maybe you’re not quite happy with the lawyer your agent or broker recommended.

For whatever reason you’re not satisfied with the referrals you got (or didn’t get), you have to take matters into your own hands. And that’s okay. Buying a house is a personal decision anyway so a bit of DIY research should be welcome.

Lucky for you, it’s not so hard. A law firm’s website can tell you a lot of things about the people behind it. Steer clear if you see these red flags and make sure to read lawyer reviews online.

4. Face-to-Face Meetings are Important

Investigating websites and reading online reviews are necessary. But they won’t give you the complete picture. Only a face-to-face meeting can do that.

So if you’re shopping around for the best Edmonton real estate lawyer, make sure to schedule an initial consultation. Don’t hire anyone just based off what you see online.

Remember, even if someone looks great on paper (or digitally in this case), you can’t know how well you work together unless you meet him or her in person. Use what you’ve learned from their website, get your questions ready, and then decide after you see how they conduct themselves in real life.

5. Crunch the Numbers

If you still haven’t decided after meeting several real estate lawyers and interviewing them, you can decide based on your budget. Of course, don’t forget that you usually get what you pay for. If you can afford to spend more to get a really good lawyer, do it.

You don’t want to save a few bucks on someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience or cannot give you the best representation if you need to go to court.

6. Ask Who Else Will Be Involved

There are times when law firms assign junior lawyers or paralegals to handle the initial work on cases. If you forgot to ask this during the initial consultation, make sure to know every detail like this during the succeeding meetings.

It’s important you know who will do most of the work on your case. Don’t forget you’re most likely going to be talking to this person all the time. Sometimes, the right Edmonton real estate lawyer isn’t the one who has an impressive resume.

It’s the person who can make you feel at ease – a lawyer you can establish rapport with so you don’t have any qualms cooperating with him or her.

7. Transparency is Key

Yes, you’ve heard a lot of honest lawyer jokes. But you should know that no reputable lawyer would lead his or her clients on. They will tell you if you have a good chance of winning your case or if it’s something you have to steel yourself for (e.g. divorce cases or custody battles).

If someone guarantees you a win despite not having spent enough time studying your legal matter, be wary. This is someone who will say anything just to get you as a client.

8. Get Ready to Hire Your Lawyer

Once you’ve found an Edmonton real estate lawyer who’s a good fit, you’ll need to retain him or her. This means you need to pay him or her a retainer or a flat fee.

You’ll also need to provide your chosen lawyer all the necessary documents related to your case. This way, he or she can guide you through the process that leads to the best possible outcome (usually a real estate closing).