An uncontested divorce in Illinois often involves real estate – a house, a condo, maybe even land. As an Illinois uncontested divorce lawyer, I can help my clients get a fast and affordable uncontested divorce in Illinois even if real estate is involved.
Better yet, a great Illinois real estate lawyer I know has agree to represent those selling homes for a low flat rate of $200. True, there are a few conditions, but it’s a great deal in my opinion.
So if you are thinking about selling a house as part of a divorce in Illinois, please read on.
Do I need a lawyer for a real estate closing?
Many people wonder if they need a lawyer for a real estate closing. In my experience, many times real estate lawyers are useless simply because they are lazy after being recommended to a client by a friend who is a real estate agent. If you’ve ever bought real estate and had a lawyer like that, you may think having a real estate closing lawyer is useless.
However, a good real estate closing lawyer can help save a deal, handle problems, and keep you out of trouble. A good real estate lawyer should give you advice before you get any offers on your house because there are legal implications regarding how a deal is struck.
How much does a real estate closing lawyer cost?
Lawyers charge different rates based on who they are and what type of sale is involved. For example, short sales require a lot more work and therefore lawyers charge higher fees to handle those types of sales. Generally speaking, this information is about a regular sale of a house.
Residential real estate closing lawyers may charge anywhere from $300 to $750 for a closing.
There is some relationship between price and quality, for sure. For example, lawyers charging $300 are probably doing a mass business, farming most of the work out to paralegals, and hardly ever talking to clients. I don’t think that’s the type of real estate closing lawyer I’d want. When you consider there is work leading up to a closing, and that a closing can take three hours or more, you can see how an attorney charging a super-low rate might be tempted to give bad service.
But how much should you pay? One of the most competent real estate closing attorneys I know charges a regular rate of $500 to represent sellers, and $750 to represent buyers.
However, she does offer a special rate for my uncontested divorce clients who are selling houses; the rate ranges from free to $300 per closing.
Should I use the lawyer my broker recommends?
I’d say the vast majority of people use a real estate closing lawyer that is recommended by a broker. There are some major problems with that.
First, may brokers lack significant training and are pretty incapable of judging the quality of work done by lawyers they recommend. Further, many of them recommend friends who get business way too easily, and therefore, they’re not too good with customer service.
What about experience?
The Illinois real estate closing lawyer I recommend to my clients has experience in all aspects of residential real estate sales. She handles regular sales, and short sales. And more importantly, she knows how to prevent problems and handle them if they arise. What’s more, she’s a litigator. That means if there are problems with your deal that lead to litigation she’ll be able to represent you in court. Many real estate closing lawyers don’t litigate.
Does it matter where my house is?
For some lawyers, it matters where the house is, because that often determines where the closing will take place. The real estate lawyer I work work with handles closings all over Chicagoland, including North Shore communities of Evanston, Dearfield, and Glenview. Butr truly the real estate closing lawyer I work with will travel anywhere – that’s not the case for many real estate lawyers.