What type of and where to hire an attorney.

[t74]

Most attorneys won’t do that. It is unethical. They will simply decline to handle a matter.

Here is a link to the “Johnson Estate Guidelines” to which many attorneys will refer when determining their fee:

https://www.estateexec.com/Docs/Compensation?state_abbrev=PA

My luck with estate attorneys has been really bad. It is also unethical to provide draft documents when a complete job had been paid for and have the attorney decide to go into personal injury law and ditch her clients without finishing the edits. What she provided were useless. Another tries to get his clients to cash out all retirement accounts to buy life insurance - from him, of course. Another wrote a will that when reviewed by a university law prof was described as a textbook case of what not to do.

 

[quincy]

My luck with estate attorneys has been really bad. It is also unethical to provide draft documents when a complete job had been paid for and have the attorney decide to go into personal injury law and ditch her clients without finishing the edits. What she provided were useless. Another tries to get his clients to cash out all retirement accounts to buy life insurance - from him, of course. Another wrote a will that when reviewed by a university law prof was described as a textbook case of what not to do.

There are incompetent attorneys. That is why recommendations from people you trust and careful screening of an attorney can be important.

One mistake people often make is hiring an attorney solely based on cost. It is not true that the best lawyers are those who charge the most nor is it true that the worst lawyers are those who charge the least.

 

[t74]

There are incompetent attorneys. That is why recommendations from people you trust and careful screening of an attorney can be important.

One mistake people often make is hiring an attorney solely based on cost. It is not true that the best lawyers are those who charge the most nor is it true that the worst lawyers are those who charge the least.

Recommendations from DH's boss (fatally flawed will), instructor at university (insurance agent), not cheap (attorney and CPA).

Also MIL's estate represented by person who did not influence executor to follow the will. Executor gifted family heirlooms designated in addendum to will for family (grandchildren and great grandchildren) to her ex step children and charities withing hours of MIL's death. She also allowed SIL to commit felony financial elderly abuse on an incompetent nonagenarian not discovered until after MIL's death. This is in addition to the theft of thousands for executor's home remodeling, etc. while MIL in nursing home incapable of even simple decisions.

The best way to settle an estate is to have a trusted family member who does not need the proceeds of the estate handle it and gift the treasures before death.

 

[quincy]

You certainly have had your share of bad experiences. That’s too bad.

 

[questioner_12]

Again, my partner and I would like to thank each of you for your advice, comments, and recommendations.

We did in fact go over all that was posted in this thread several times in our recent conversations between us.

We were recently informed by my partner's brother that my partner's brother will be submitting the Will to Orphans Court.

My partner is holding off on any decisions until his brother is formally recognized/appointed by the court as Executor of the Will. My partner has no interest how ever performed as being assigned as Executor of the Will at this point.

If the brother has no legal right to dispose of any assets of the estate until he is officially assigned as Executor of the Will by the court what ramifications might/will the brother encounter for selling assets prior? If the brother sold one of his father's cars to his friend prior to the court ruling would the person he sold the car to be in legal trouble or would that person have to/must by law return the car to his brother? Their father has about 6 cars he owned solely when he passed. My partner saw all of the titles. Would the person who bought the car be legally responsible for returning the car to his brother(Estate)? None of the vehicles were specifically mentioned in the Will. It was more of a general Will drawn up by the father's attorney.

Also, understood that the quote given to my partner and his brother by father's attorney to settle the estate affairs may not have been 40% but more like 3-6% as there may have been a misunderstanding on my partner and his brother.

Again, thanks for your time. It is a lot for us to absorb and understand but your responses did in fact help us get a more distinctive approach to this situation. For this very moment my partner is on stand-by as in hiring an attorney etc.