Had to choose between two different estate lawyers last month

I was dealing with my dad's will after he passed in March. One lawyer charged a flat $2,500 and seemed super by the book. The other was $175 an hour and had a more laid back vibe. I went with the hourly guy because he actually read my dad's handwritten notes. Turns out there was a codicil on a napkin that the first guy would have ignored. Has anyone else dealt with a lawyer dismissing something that felt important?

1 comments

1 Comment

leo_carr132h ago

Whoa, hold up. I gotta push back on this a little. A napkin codicil sounds like the kind of thing that gets you into a huge legal fight, not something to be proud of. If your dad wanted to change his will he should have done it properly with a lawyer, not scribbled on a napkin. The first guy was being by the book for a reason, that reason is to keep your family out of a messy court battle. You got lucky this time but that hourly guy sounds like he was taking a huge risk that could have cost you way more than $2,500. I get wanting to honor your dad's last wishes but there's a line between honoring him and setting yourself up for a legal nightmare.