Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in New Hampshire
Settlement of estate
Both my parents recently died. They were very thorough in their estate planning. They both had wills that clearly spelled out how their assets were to be divided (equally between 4 siblings). I and my siblings have a good handle on where their securities are and how much money is involved. My brother has been designated as executor and our lawyer is processing the paper-work to have him appointed by the courts. Our lawyer seems to be very reputable. He said that his fees may add up to somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000, even though my parents crossed their Ts and dotted their Is and everything about their wills and assets are in order. Can this be right? It seems like an unbelievable amount of money to be charged when this should be a relatively simple process.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Settlement of estate
Not knowing the size of the estate, yours is a difficult question to answer. It is not unusual to have the lawyer's fee equal to a few percentage points of the value of the estate. If you are concerned, I suggest you call another lawyer and see what they offer for a fee structure.
Re: Settlement of estate
It is always possible that there are enormous problems that you are not aware but if your parents had prepared and the siblings are not fighting among themselves, that amount seems way out of line. Do not hesitiate to seek another opinion or hire another lawyer who does this type of work.
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