Father Of Friend Died. What Kind Of Lawyer To Help Deal With Insurers,etc?
Q: My friend's father just died and I'm extremely worried that my friend's mom is going to get abused by creditors, etc. Harrasment has already begun. I would like to hire a lawyer - I think - to help her out. What kind of lawyer do I need? An estate lawyer? Also, how would I be billed? Hourly? Is there any way I can check up on a lawyer's work other than asking for their own account?
A: Unless her husband's estate is very complicated, she does not need a specialist. Any ordinary storefront lawyer should be more than competent to advise an executor or heir. I don't think _you_ can hire the lawyer, though. You could offer to pay for legal service, but the lawyer would be working for her and she would hire him or her. (I assume she's legally competent to manage her own affairs.) Probably. Your friend needs to be clear whether she will want ongoing advice as she asks for it, or just one-time advice on specific issues, or to turn over the whole estate for the lawyer to manage. If it's the third of those, she may be asked to pay a certain percentage of the estate. She should definitely discuss fees before engaging the lawyer. I don't understand "asking for their own account". Ask around (and better, your friend should ask other widows). Word of mouth is the best recommendation for any kind of professional service.