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17 Mar, 2022 by Charleeta southwick
Extremely knowledgeable. Makes you feel at ease. Down to earth. Explains everything so it's easy to understand.
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15 Dec, 2020 by Jenewah inc
As a social service community center, we always refer our clients who have legal issues to Clarence, and most of the clients are happy with the service that they have received from him. We highly recommended Clarence Chan to everyone.
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22 May, 2019 by Jacob morehouse
I met with Albert, and was very happy with my experience. They were able to work with me in short notice, and we're extremely professional. I can't thank them enough.
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22 Mar, 2011 by Fred
I have used the services of Jay Hislop for issues involving employees, business development, transition and sale, disability law and commercial building lease contracts. In all cases he has brought a "big picture" perspective to the situations which resulted in all parties being satisfied while still looking out for his client. His even handed approach and thoughtful way tend to diffuse potentially confrontational attitudes and help in developing equitable results.
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09 Mar, 2011 by Rick
Dr. Hislop has provided both practice management and legal document preparation for our dental practice. In practice management, his rolls have encompassed staff interaction, coaching, analysis, and specific detailed recommendations for improvement in all aspects of the practice. Legal document preparation has included partnership, associateship, buyout, and practice/real estate purchases. All have been meticulously detailed. Dr. Hislop, who was a clinically practicing dentist before his consulting and legal career, brings a rare combination of talents. He has had a highly successful dental practice, has over a decade of teaching experience at a world renowned dental institute, and with his law background provides insightful knowledge of legalities in dental/medical practice. My experience was that he listened carefully to my goals and gave observational analysis after careful assessment of the business systems and personnel. He provided additional viewpoints for me to consider before we collaborated in shaping the specifics for successful results. His versatility has allowed for significantly different courses of action dependent on the circumstances. My dental practice top priority was for staff cohesiveness and a strong relationship based partnership. Jay provided personal interaction with staff and my eventual business partner to enhance the opportunity to achieve these results. He is a significant factor in the result that my 4 key staff members are still intact 10 years after we initiated working with Dr. Hislop. (The one additional staff member moved across the country). Similarly, I have now enjoyed a 7 year dental partnership without one single conflict. (I know that is hard to believe, but it is absolutely true.) Dr. Hislop's consulting time and win-win contract arrangement are cornerstones of this success. Conversely, the separate purchase of real estate and remnants of a declining dental practice presented a different set of challenges for Dr. Hislop. The acquisition required negotiating with a contentious seller. A completely different set of skills was demonstrated by Dr. Hislop in procuring a very favorable result for us. I give my highest recommendation to Dr. Hislop. RKJ
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08 Mar, 2011 by Zach
Dr. Hislop has played an integral role in two transitions in my professional life. Dr. Hislop first arranged for me to become an associate when I graduated dental school which led me to becoming a partner in the practice. All documents were clear and concise. In addition, it was clear that Dr. Hislop strongly desired a win-win situation for all parties involved. Recently my partner and I acquired another practice as well as a building and decided to hire an associate. Dr. Hislop helped guide us through this very confusing process and helped us negotiate a great price on our new building and the practice that we acquired. In addition, Dr. Hislop made arrangements with our new associate and again insured that we had a win-win situation. Dr. Hislop has also interacted with our staff on several occasions. His insight helped draw our team together and made the many transitions that we have been through go as smoothly as possible. I would highly recommend Dr. Hislop.
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21 Feb, 2019 by Mike
I am a former Reclamation District Trustee. I always found Alan to be well organized and knowledgeable of Reclamation District matters. The Reclamation District meetings were always conducted very professionally. Alan always stayed current with new legislation and water code topics. Alan always challenged the State if he did not agree with their accounting methods. I would accredit the financial soundness of the Reclamation District to Alan's firm control and logical spending practices. Multimillion dollar construction projects were successfully administered and managed by Alan. Securing State funding and managing that money was Alan's responsibility and he always provided sound guidance to the Trustees. Without hesitation I would recommend Alan.
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19 Feb, 2019 by John
As the reclamation district manager, I work closely with Alan Coon, our reclamation district lawyer. He is highly knowledgeable about a wide range of issues. He has been an enormous asset to our work for many years. We recently undertook a large and complex levee project. His hard work, knowledge of the issues, perseverance, and professional expertise were essential to its completion. Over the years, I have also consulted with him on personal issues, and found him to be knowledgeable, resourceful, and effective. He is an asset to our district and his profession.
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18 Feb, 2019 by Skip
Alan represents a Reclamation dist which i am a board member of. He does an excellent job> i also have retained him for a few personnel matters and he has been very responsive and professional.
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15 Jul, 2015 by Anonymous
I have been a paralegal my entire life and embarrassed to say that I found myself in a horrible civil litigation matter. I purchased a home in December 2012 only to find leaks, mold, and dry rot the day I moved in. Even though I hired a home inspector and obtained pest and roof inspections, they all failed me and the seller lied and didn't disclose the massive mold and dry rot issues and standing water under the home. It was a nightmare and I had to move out of 1/3 of my home and seal it off due to hazardous contamination. The seller later filed bankruptcy. I first hired a Lodi attorney who essentially did nothing but bill us $10,000 in a 6 month period. I then went to Art Small in Stockton, who took my case on contingency. If it weren't for him trusting in me and our case, I would have been screwed and lost everything. The case was complicated because of the bankruptcy, but Art fought on my behalf in both BK and civil court and ultimately I received far more than I ever would have expected. I won't be rich but can now finally make all repairs and then some. Art went above and beyond and put up with my constant questioning. I now consider him a personal friend. He is hard working, honest, and fair...something hard to find these days especially in an attorney. I've worked with many, but Art is as good as they come. He really knows his stuff, especially in debt collection and litigation, and how to play the game. The Lodi attorney basically told me I had no case but took my money anyway. Art worked diligently for 2.5 years because he believed I was wronged and that meant everything. Fortunately, it finally paid off for both of us. I highly, highly recommend him!!
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28 Feb, 2013 by Anonymous
Mr. Small successfully defended me in a land use lawsuit. His professionalism and attention to detail created a positive environment to conduct business. I was promptly informed about each step in the case and Mr. Small excelled at clearing communicating the steps he would use to defend the case. A legal win is always sweeter when handled with the ease demonstrated by an attorney such as Mr. Small.
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16 Jul, 2009 by Anonymous
Mr. Small assisted me in a elgal matter involving a building contractor. Due to his professionalism and knowledge of the law, the case was resolved in my favor expeditiously and professionally.
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13 Aug, 2013 by James
IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO ELABORATE ON THE CHART ABOVE,IT TELLS THE WHOLE STORY OF OUR BRIEF RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND HIS CAPABLE STAFF...WE SINCERELY MEAN THE EXCELLENT MARKS WE PUT NEXT TO ALL THE CATAGORIES,HE EARNED THEM,EVERY ONE.WE WOULD BE PLEASED TO REFER HIM TO ANYONE WE KNOW..
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06 May, 2013 by Anonymous
Mike was very nice to work with and did a great job for us. After 28 years of working for one company, my wife faced a layoff and was unable to find full-time employment. After depleting our savings and much of our retirement plans, we chose to file bankruptcy. Mike was very pleasant, non-judgemental, and made the process as easy as possible. He represented us in a very professional way and the Trusteee ruled in our favor.
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21 Jun, 2014 by Maureen
Jeanne has done an excellent job in looking for win win solutions to some difficult situations with our water district. She is very knowledgeable and therefore doesn't seem to require a lot of hours at clients' expense to research and find solutions.
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02 Jan, 2013 by Marty
Scott has taken my company through several difficult cases, including a nightmarish environmental litigation. His instincts proved absolutely correct and his patient defense inspired confidence in me and my team. He is also very knowledgeable in employment law. He was self-aware enough to decline my offer to use him for estate planning and advised hiring a more specialized lawyer to help with a pension liability; he knows his limits. I recommend him very highly.
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31 May, 2015 by Pauline
I WAS TREATED WITH RESPECT. HE KNEW WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR MY CASE. I WAS NOT LEFT WONDERING WHAT HE SAID OR WHAT I HAD TO DO NEXT BECAUSE ALL MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS LAWYER TO EVERYONE.
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08 Oct, 2016 by David
I really had no knowledge of the way Family Law works before working with Mr. Ross. He guided me along the way and helped to clarify the situation is so that I could understand everything that was happening and why. He drafted a fair and detailed agreement that kept everything civil between parties. My first visit to his office I was a bit scared of my situation, just "not knowing" what would happen. When I left his office after my second visit, I was confident, calm, and knew exactly what direction I was headed from then on out. He was referred to me by my father when he had to deal with an unfortunate turn of events in his life. Then I found myself in a similar situation years down the road and it was comforting having Mr. Ross as my "right hand man". No one wants to find themselves in the need of an attorney, but when you do it's great to have someone like Mr. Ross to guide you through.
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07 May, 2024 by George h
Would not recommend
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28 Nov, 2023 by Lisa demaderios
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09 Nov, 2023 by Wendi sherman
Have met with him twice. I like being kept in the loop.
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26 Sep, 2024 by Maria palazzolo
We arrived in California after the sudden death of my brother and had no idea where to turn. The Law Offices of Corren & Corren took us on immediately and with great compassion. Our case, which had to be conducted from the west coast to the east coast, was handled in the most professional, efficient and considerate manner and the representation we received exceeded all of our expectations. We can't thank Spencer Sinclair, Esq. enough for all that he has done for us.
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28 Jun, 2024 by Psalms karnes
This is the best law firm in California!!! Spencer handled my case amazingly. He was up front and honest with everything. The communication was exemplary. If you need a lawyer, I would definitely contact him! I didn’t know much on how to proceed with a case but Spencer walked me through it. He answered all of my questions no matter how silly they were. I would definitely come back if I had another situation like my previous one! If I could get 10 stars I would !!!
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26 May, 2024 by Bigheaded entertainment
ADAM IS A AMAZING LAWYER, HE MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE THREW THE ENTIRE LEGAL PROCESS. HE ALSO GOT ME MORE MONEY THEN I EVER EXPECTED. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND ADAM & SPENCER IF YOU HAVE ANY WORK RELATED LEGAL ISSUES
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03 Jul, 2024 by Levititan17
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26 Mar, 2022 by Tom o'neill
Anthony Despotes has helped me with a couple of different matters, and I've been very happy with the quality of the work.
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16 Dec, 2021 by Marissa guerra
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03 Jul, 2024 by Levititan17
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26 Mar, 2022 by Tom o'neill
Anthony Despotes has helped me with a couple of different matters, and I've been very happy with the quality of the work.
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16 Dec, 2021 by Marissa guerra
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers

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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