"A Lawyer's Time And Advice Are His Stock In Trade"

Q. How much does a lawyer charge to look at a lease? I am trying to figure out what is important. I was hoping you might be able to give me some insight. Please help.

A. The simple answer to your question is: whatever the lawyer wants to charge. But the reality is that there's no one answer. Who's the attorney? Your friend? A guy you saw on TV? Someone you found in the phonebook?

What are you asking the lawyer to do? Proof it? See if there are any "traps"? Asking the lawyer to build in protections for you, as either a landlord or tenant? Each of these tasks is different, and would require a different level of work from the attorney.

The thing you have to remember about lawyers and their fees was best summarized by Abraham Lincoln:

"A lawyer's time and advice are his stock in trade." That means all the lawyer has to sell you is time, and advice. There's no other product, really. So if you're asking a lawyer to take a "quick look" at something, a $100 fee might be appropriate. If you're asking the lawyer to draft a new lease to protect you from an unsavory landlord, it might cost 5 or 10 times that.

Hope this helps.