Do you need help with Scarborough estate law? Are you looking for an estate law lawyer? We wrote this article to explain more about estate planning. Also, we explain what estate litigation is.
Estate law is quite varied. It can be something as simple as putting together a will. Or it could be a massive will contesting litigation. Sometimes there could be ten different parties with estate litigation. This is far more complex than family law, where there are often only two parties (people getting divorced.)
Estate law is extremely complicated. The amount of paperwork can be massive. If you make any mistakes filing the paperwork with the courts, they will not stamp it. The court staff are not available to provide you with legal advice. Only lawyers are allowed to provide legal advice.
A lot of people are not very realistic when they have an estate law dispute. Normally there are two types of people that contact us in Scarborough. One of them is concerned that a Will is being challenged, and they want a lawyer to assist.
Scarborough Estate Law Fees
The other type of potential client feels left out of the will and wants to contest it. This type of client often asks lawyers to work on contingency, which doesn’t often happen with estate disputes. Personal injury law started the whole “no win-no fee” thing. But it’s not common in other areas of law.
The reason why PI lawyers can work on “no-win-no-fee” is that car crashes are almost always the same. Someone was texting and driving, and they crashed into the back of the car. Look up the value of the car, add some compensation for the injured person, and there you go. The lawyer will know from the beginning that their client is likely to get $100,000.
Estate law is the exact opposite of personal injury. If personal injury is simple, Scarborough estate law is extremely complex. It’s even more complex than family law. With family law, there are two people fighting. With inheritance disputes, there can be five different people fighting.
Inheritance disputes are also extremely emotional and unpredictable. Someone has died, and people are fighting for money. Estate lawyers know how complex these files are. If you need a lawyer, you will need to pay out of pocket. Don’t assume that the law firm is going to assume the risk for you.
The estate lawyer fees will be the hourly rate. I would normally recommend picking a lawyer with a higher rate, with more experience. They will normally save you money. People that have never worked with a law firm before just focus on the hourly rate. It’s about how many lawyers the attorney is going to need to work on your case.
Inheritance disputes between siblings
But it should be worth it. How much is a home worth in Scarborough? It could easily be a million dollars. If you spend $20,000 on an attorney and get an extra $200K, that is a good deal. You need to know the value of the estate, and then decide if you are going to spend money fighting for your rights.
Normally, the more money that is on the line, the more it makes sense to spend money on a retainer. By the way, a retainer is simply a deposit. Some lawyers offer free consultations and some charge. If a lawyer is offering a paid consultation, they probably just want to know that you are willing to spend some money on getting legal advice.
We added links in this article where you can learn more about the law. We suggest you read them so you can better understand how to speak to a law firm about your situation.
Inheritance disputes blended families
This is an example of where Scarborough estate law can get even more complicated. If five members of a family fighting weren’t complex enough, now imagine that there are blended families. Now let’s say that some of the blended family is in another country. Let’s also say that there are assets and debts in the other country.
Maybe the other country is a complex place. Let’s say it’s somewhere like Iran or China. Really it could be any country will a very different legal system from Canada. Some of the family might be on one side, the rest on another side. Maybe there is even a third side of things.
Now you can see why Scarborough estate law costs money. It’s a lot of work for a law firm to sort out.
Estate Law Lawyer Locations
Estate Lawyers Scarborough
There are different ways to book a meeting with one of our Scarborough estate lawyers. You can call us and we will take your information and give it to the lawyer. The lawyer will then call you. Also, you can pick a time and date on our booking app. The lawyer will then call you directly at that time.
When dealing with an estate battle, you need to decide if it will be worth it or not. However, do not assume that hiring a law firm in Scarborough is not worth it. Let’s say you are entitled to $100,000. If you speak to a lawyer for a free consultation, and they say you have a strong case, it’s worth going after. If you spend $10,000 to get $100K, that’s a good deal. Also, if you win the lawsuit, the estate might have to pay your $10K in legal deals.
If you want to learn more about Scarborough law, see our videos.
Estate Planning Documents
Raising a family is hard. When the family breaks apart, dealing with legal issues can be emotionally and financially draining.
If you need help with Scarborough estate law, fill out the form on this page.
Estate Law Lawyer Services
- Wills
- Estate planning legal advice
- Trusts
- Power of attorney
Author: Alistair Vigier is the CEO of ClearWay Law