More details to this question:
My girlfriends dad passed away and left her money in a trust fund. She talked to an attorney and he said that she must put down a $16,000 deposit and then everything will be cleared up within a month and she would then pay the remainder of the balance owed. Is this normal having to pay such a large amount up front?
1 ANSWER
It depends on the facts and the attorney. Most probates which involve valid wills and the deceased has not been dead for more than 4 years should only require a retainer of about $3K. However, if there is a potential for a will contest by another party or some issues with the will document itself then the cost could be higher. The attorney may be asking for a large retainer because they think there are risks associated with the process, they want the client to be invested in the process or they don't really want the case. It is hard to tell from your limited facts though why this attorney wanted so much up front. Good luck!
Answered on Apr 22nd, 2015 at 10:12 AM