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09 May, 2008 by Dee
I'm a single mother with one child and was in a very serious car accident in 2000. I broke my left arm in a way that had to be put back together with plates and screws, And needed two surgeries .I was so scared for myself and my daughter who was two back then, Thinking how am I going to provide for us ? I also had to take in the idea that I might never be able to use my left arm again. I was reffered to Mark Sylvester who since the minute I met him I knew I could trust and rely on him. He was 100% trustworthy, He was knowledgeable,Quick and very thorough in my case. He also had alot of patience considering the emotional mess that accident made me. He stood by my side and guided me through every process of my law suit. I learned alot from him . He became a friend.I was a success in recovery and now I'm a Massage Therapist ! He will now and always be my lawyer and I highly recommend him.
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04 Dec, 2024 by Kristen ziter taylor
Working with Andy Montroll was a fabulous experience. From a Real Estate Broker's perspective, sometimes we feel it is frustrating working with Attorneys as they can not be as communicative as we would like. This was not the case with Andy! He made himself always available to talk to, or returned my calls promptly. When it came to the negotiating aspect he was confident, logical and very fair. He was a true pleasure to work with. Kristen Ziter Taylor-Owner, Broker of Brattleboro Area Realty
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27 Nov, 2024 by Laura noonan
I have had the pleasure to work with Andy Montroll for over two decades! He has provided our software and telecom divisions with sound advice, consistently and promptly, when under a time crunch. I appreciate his ability to provide counsel on the specific legal nuances, but also the understanding of business and commerical term considerations. He also is fluent in "layman-speak" for those of us who are more on the business side, but need an understanding and interpretation of legal terms. Having a trusted legal advisor like this is invaluable.
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06 Nov, 2024 by Robert cleary
I have had the pleasure of working with Montroll, Oettinger & Barquist for many years both on business and personal matters, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. From start to finish, their team provided exceptional legal guidance and demonstrated unparalleled expertise. They are not only masters of law but also highly strategic thinkers , offering innovative solutions for individuals legal matters.
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21 Dec, 2024 by Tim zried
I can't say enough in regards to the professionalism, clarity, and positive results with the legal representation that Brooks McArthur and his amazing legal team provided for me. I was personally dealing with a complicated case where the odds seemed stacked against me and left me feeling overwhelmed. The hard work, punctuality, and guidance in which Brooks and his legal team executed in a timely manner on a regular basis was extremely comforting and effective. In the end we were strategically victorious through their team's defense, resources and legal influence. I personally would highly recommend Gravel and Shea's legal services to anyone who needs reliable, honest, and extremely effective representation. I am profoundly grateful to their services and would have genuinely regretted taking other route for representation. They are best of the best! Thankyou!
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12 Dec, 2024 by David williams
Brooks represented me many years ago when I needed a top-notch attorney, and I was highly satisfied with the outcome of the case. Fast forward to a more recent event when I was again in need of representation. Without hesitation I called Brooks, and he was able to negotiate a miracle deal. I would highly recommend Brooks and Gravel & Shea for any of your legal needs, from my personal experience they are worth every penny!
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26 Nov, 2024 by Emily biron
Brooks came highly recommended and upon reaching out to him, it became clear why. Within a few minutes of sending my first email he had reached out and set up an in-person meeting the same week. He was efficient and delivered the results I needed. It was a pleasure to work with Brooks during a not-so-pleasant time.
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08 Jul, 2024 by R.g. g.m.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Carl amilcar
I couldn’t ask for a better attorney. He always there with us every steps of the go beyond to help us. We were very pleased. Thank you
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08 Jul, 2024 by Kim kim
Thanks for attorney Brian Sullivan and assistant Olivia a lot . I have green card and I am so happy with your service . They answer email quickly and care for our case a lot .
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28 Oct, 2024 by Ghat adhikari
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21 Jul, 2024 by John johnson
I recently had hired the firm of Jason Sawyer to help me get some past offences expunged. Not only were they extremely sympatric and kind, but they were very affordable. The results were better than I expected. I would highly recommend them.
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13 Feb, 2024 by M houston
I don’t recommend this firm because I called a few times and never received a call back. Vermont lawyers are pretty terrible. This has been my experience with VT lawyers across the state.
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24 Dec, 2023 by Craig piazza
Mark Sperry is an amazing person and attorney
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22 Apr, 2024 by Kim kim
Thanks for attorney Brian Sullivan and assistant Olivia a lot . I have green card and I am so happy with your service . They answer email quickly and care for our case a lot .
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06 Apr, 2024 by R.g. g.m.
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08 Nov, 2023 by Thomas manasjan
My wife and I worked with Brian and Olivia for her immigration and they were both great! A big reason I went with MSK is because of my first phone conversation with Olivia. Both Brian and Olivia were super attentive, talked over things with me numerous times, and were always quick to respond to my emails and calls. They were the only place who were honest and upfront about the price which gave me piece of mind knowing the cost wouldn’t spiral out of control like many of the other lawyers/firms I contacted initially. I contacted numerous individual immigration lawyers in Vermont who wouldn’t even give me a shred of information until I payed their fee, maybe that’s how it is with lawyers but it felt downright rude to me. Also completely unwillingly to talk about price, even in the vaguest of terms. So when I finally contacted MSK and spoke to Olivia you could imagine my surprise when someone treated me with respect and actually told me a price. Save yourself the stress, for immigration go with MSK. Highly recommended.
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05 Dec, 2024 by Lela mccaffrey
I am so thankful to have found Cindy to help me navigate my divorce. She was very professional and helped me understand the laws. She also wasn't afraid to tell me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it, so I could anticipate what was coming. I have already recommended her to a friend and will continue to do so. I felt I had a true advocate with me on my divorce journey.
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17 Oct, 2024 by Julia johnson
I don’t know what I would have done without Cindy. It’s a new low to be mentally and physically drained, while also trying to pull evidence and know what my next steps are in a court case, especially never experiencing the judicial system prior. Cindy was this light I just continued following until the case was over, with a result I was content with not to mention. I remember feeling my chest tight, heart racing, but when I looked up in the virtual courtroom, and saw she was there, I felt a wave of calm and knew I would be just fine. I hope to never need her again (respectfully) but if i happen to need an attorney, it will be her.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Monica hampton
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05 Dec, 2024 by Lela mccaffrey
I am so thankful to have found Cindy to help me navigate my divorce. She was very professional and helped me understand the laws. She also wasn't afraid to tell me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it, so I could anticipate what was coming. I have already recommended her to a friend and will continue to do so. I felt I had a true advocate with me on my divorce journey.
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17 Oct, 2024 by Julia johnson
I don’t know what I would have done without Cindy. It’s a new low to be mentally and physically drained, while also trying to pull evidence and know what my next steps are in a court case, especially never experiencing the judicial system prior. Cindy was this light I just continued following until the case was over, with a result I was content with not to mention. I remember feeling my chest tight, heart racing, but when I looked up in the virtual courtroom, and saw she was there, I felt a wave of calm and knew I would be just fine. I hope to never need her again (respectfully) but if i happen to need an attorney, it will be her.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Mary cotton
Cindy and her team are the best! I had a really hard situation and she walked me through the whole thing. We ultimately won my case and I could not have done it without her and Deb. They were awesome!
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05 Dec, 2024 by Lela mccaffrey
I am so thankful to have found Cindy to help me navigate my divorce. She was very professional and helped me understand the laws. She also wasn't afraid to tell me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it, so I could anticipate what was coming. I have already recommended her to a friend and will continue to do so. I felt I had a true advocate with me on my divorce journey.
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17 Oct, 2024 by Julia johnson
I don’t know what I would have done without Cindy. It’s a new low to be mentally and physically drained, while also trying to pull evidence and know what my next steps are in a court case, especially never experiencing the judicial system prior. Cindy was this light I just continued following until the case was over, with a result I was content with not to mention. I remember feeling my chest tight, heart racing, but when I looked up in the virtual courtroom, and saw she was there, I felt a wave of calm and knew I would be just fine. I hope to never need her again (respectfully) but if i happen to need an attorney, it will be her.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Justin n
Cynthia and her team stole my retainer without ever performing a drop of legal work. It's been 8 months and I'm still fighting to get even the "unused" portion of my retainer back. The only legal work her team ever once did was to grossly benefit the opposing party at great financial and emotional cost to myself. Unfortunately after so many months I'm now forced to follow up with the court system against this horrible legal practice. Also worth noting that what she charged thousands and thousands in retainers for was a $140 form anyone can send in and probably should have advised me to do.
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12 Sep, 2022 by Deena frankel
I recently had a need to consult with a personal injury attorney and I was lucky to find Bill Leckerling. He is smart and incredibly sensible, and inspired my confidence with his practical and ethical approach to the matter I brought to him. I would not hesitate to consult with him in the future, and will certainly send any friends or family with similar legal needs to him.
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07 Apr, 2022 by Robert grundstein
Lisman lies and understands that the legal system is not an ethical system but one of asset exchange and assignment among preferred participants....one that can absorb an enormous amount of deceit. He's commoditized his Harvard credential and his political affiliations to make Vermont's legal system unbearable. It's little more than brutal careerists with the occasional subnormal and comedic relief (Skoglund). Congratulations on financial success at the expense of what makes life worth living.
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03 Dec, 2021 by Jeremy ayotte
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17 Apr, 2023 by Anonymous
Despite all of the discrimination and negligence supervision I am experiencing this attorney refused to hear me out and take my case. This is a serious matter and it needs to be addressed or I may take my LIFE because no one has my back
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10 Mar, 2022 by Anonymous
Mr. Bond represented me in a consumer fraud case with a contractor. In the complaint he wrote to initiate the case, he misplaced the emphasis in a number of ways and also left out one crucial fact. When the contractor's lawyer responded with a motion to dismiss the case, this gaping hole played a major role in the judge's decision to dismiss. Mr. Bond then convinced me to appeal the dismissal -- at significant cost to me, of course. The other side then suggested mediation. It was in the mediation process that Mr. Bond demonstrated his most extraordinary incompetence. He started by insisting that we open by asking for an outrageous sum. This undermined our credibility from the outset and put the contractor on the defensive. All through the grueling negotiations, Mr. Bond stayed on the sidelines, basically an empty suit. After many hours, when I was very tired, I made the first move toward compromise, and the other side finally began to budge. At this point, Mr. Bond broke in, took me aside, and tried to convince me to accept their very first, ridiculously low offer! That was when I realized I was on my own. I managed to get thousands of dollars more only because I ignored his advice. The final sum, however, was much less than I needed to make myself whole. From the very beginning, Mr. Bond pulled rank on me as a lawyer and ignored suggestions I made that would have made our case stronger. (He thinks very highly of himself.) He was always in a hurry and never showed an interest in understanding the details of the case, nor was he ever committed to the main and indeed only goal, which was simply to recover enough money to repair the damage that had resulted from the incompetence, deceitfulness, and intransigence of the contractor. (The mediator actually told me that I had been "badly treated.") In retrospect, I believe my main goal never was Mr. Bond's goal. My reading is that it was a slow time for him (during covid), he needed the work, and it didn't matter to him how it worked out in the end: he'd be paid anyway. The standard caricature of a lawyer. How is it that I, who had never participated in mediation, was better at it on my first try than he was after countless similar experiences? I am fully convinced that had he not been in the room and I had handled the negotiations alone, I would have been able to recover enough money to come out even. He hurt that effort. He is a hapless negotiator. And since most such cases go to mediation, this is a crucial shortcoming. You're better not hiring this guy.
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02 Jul, 2020 by Anonymous
David is one of the few first-rate litigators in a small state. He was quick to grasp the key issues in our case, and unfailingly accurate in his understanding of how the law should apply - indeed considerably more so than our state court judges. His ability to recall facts is equal to the quality of his legal reasoning. I have rarely made fewer comments or edits on a brief than with David's, in more than three decades of managing preeminent attorneys in complex international litigation. Having seen perhaps a dozen of the state’s litigators in action, I have found David far superior in efficiency, effectiveness and value.
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What a Real Estate Lawyer Can Do for You

A real estate lawyer provides legal assistance in transactions and disputes involving property, including residential and commercial real estate. Whether you're buying, selling, leasing, or developing property, a real estate attorney can help ensure that your transactions are legally sound and your rights are protected. They review contracts, perform due diligence, resolve disputes, and provide legal representation in negotiations and litigation involving property matters.

Real estate lawyers are crucial in safeguarding your investment by ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal real estate laws, as well as protecting you from potential legal pitfalls related to property ownership and transactions.

When Should I Hire a Real Estate Lawyer?

Hiring a real estate lawyer is beneficial in various scenarios, including:

  • Buying or selling property: When navigating complex real estate contracts, it’s advisable to have a lawyer review and ensure that the terms are favorable and legal.
  • Commercial property transactions: For leasing, purchasing, or selling commercial properties, a lawyer can help manage the intricate legal aspects of such transactions.
  • Zoning or land use issues: If you're planning to develop property or change its use, a real estate lawyer can guide you through zoning laws and land use regulations.
  • Resolving property disputes: For boundary disputes, title issues, or disagreements over property rights, a lawyer can help mediate or litigate the matter.
  • Foreclosures or evictions: If you're dealing with foreclosure or managing a tenant eviction, legal representation ensures that the process adheres to local laws and protects your interests.
  • Title and deed issues: Lawyers can help clear title disputes, ensure the legitimacy of property deeds, and handle transfers of ownership.

What Does a Real Estate Lawyer Do?

A real estate lawyer provides a range of services to help with property transactions and disputes, including:

  • Contract drafting and review: Ensuring that purchase agreements, leases, and other contracts are legally binding, fair, and protect your interests.
  • Title search and clearance: Conducting a thorough title search to ensure that the property has no legal claims or liens that could affect ownership.
  • Facilitate closing: Managing the closing process in real estate transactions, including reviewing final documents and ensuring that everything is in order before the transfer of ownership.
  • Resolve disputes: Handling legal disputes related to property ownership, boundaries, zoning, or tenants.
  • Assist in financing: Reviewing loan agreements and mortgage documents to ensure the terms are fair and legally sound.
  • Zoning and land use advice: Guiding clients through the complexities of zoning laws and building regulations for property development or renovation projects.

How Are Real Estate Lawyers Paid?

Real estate lawyers typically charge for their services in the following ways:

  • Flat fee: Many real estate transactions, such as reviewing a sales contract or assisting with a closing, are charged on a flat-fee basis.
  • Hourly rates: If a lawyer is handling complex disputes or litigation, they may charge by the hour. Hourly rates can vary significantly based on the lawyer’s experience and location.
  • Contingency fees: In rare cases, such as property disputes or claims for damages, a lawyer may work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid if you win or settle the case.
  • Retainer: For ongoing legal support, some clients may pay a retainer, which is an upfront fee used as a deposit for future legal services.

It's important to clarify the fee structure with your attorney before hiring them to avoid any surprises.

How Much Does a Real Estate Lawyer Cost?

The cost of a real estate lawyer varies based on the complexity of the matter, the location of the property, and the lawyer’s experience. Key factors that affect pricing include:

  • Type of transaction or issue: Simple tasks, like contract reviews, typically cost less than handling a complex property dispute or litigation.
  • Experience and location: More experienced lawyers or those in high-demand areas, like urban centers, often charge higher rates.
  • Billing structure: Lawyers may charge a flat fee for basic services like document review or hourly for more time-intensive work such as disputes or litigation.

Flat fees for straightforward services like closing assistance may range from $500 to $1,500.

Hourly rates can range from $150 to $400 or more, depending on the attorney’s experience and location.

Always discuss fees upfront to understand the overall cost of the legal service you're receiving.

Top Questions to Ask a Real Estate Lawyer

Before hiring a real estate lawyer, ask the following questions to ensure they are the right fit for your legal needs:

  1. What experience do you have with real estate law?
    Ensure the lawyer has experience in the type of real estate transaction or dispute you’re facing, whether residential, commercial, or development-related.
  2. What is your fee structure?
    Ask how the lawyer charges for services - whether it's a flat fee, hourly rate, or retainer - so there are no surprises later on.
  3. How long will the process take?
    Especially important for real estate transactions or disputes with deadlines, ask for a general estimate of how long the process will last.
  4. Have you handled cases similar to mine?
    Experience with similar transactions or disputes can give you confidence that the lawyer knows how to handle your case.
  5. Will you handle my case personally, or will it be passed to another attorney?
    Confirm who will be handling the bulk of your case work, especially in larger firms where junior lawyers may take on some responsibilities.
  6. Can you provide references?
    Speaking with past clients can give you insight into the lawyer's experience and how they handle cases.

How to Check the Credibility of a Real Estate Lawyer

To ensure you’re hiring a reputable real estate lawyer, take these steps:

  • Check with the state bar association: Verify that the lawyer is licensed and in good standing with no disciplinary actions on their record.
  • Read online reviews and testimonials: Look for reviews on legal directories and platforms like Avvo or Martindale-Hubbell to see what past clients have said.
  • Ask for references: A credible lawyer should have past clients willing to share their experiences.
  • Review their track record and expertise: Look at the lawyer’s website or LinkedIn profile for information about their experience in real estate law and any relevant cases they’ve handled.
  • Membership in professional organizations: Lawyers who are members of respected legal or real estate organizations, like the American Bar Association’s Real Property Division, often signal credibility and expertise.

What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?

To make your first meeting with a real estate lawyer productive, you should prepare the following materials:

  • Relevant property documents: Bring purchase agreements, lease contracts, mortgage documents, zoning permits, or any other paperwork related to your case.
  • A summary of the issue or transaction: Be ready to explain the situation, whether it's a property dispute, contract negotiation, or development issue.
  • Questions about the legal process: Prepare a list of questions about how the lawyer will handle your case and what steps are involved.
  • Financial documents or loan agreements: If the case involves financing or a mortgage, bring any related documents for the lawyer to review.
  • Your goals and timeline: Be clear about what outcome you're hoping for, and if there are any deadlines that need to be considered, such as closing dates or legal filings.

By coming prepared, you can ensure that your consultation is efficient and informative, allowing you to assess whether the lawyer is the right fit for your real estate needs.

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