Practical notes
Hiring a lawyer
Four short notes on the process of finding and hiring someone. They do not explain the law or tell you what documents you need. That is a question for the lawyer you choose.
Library reading room, Minnesota History Center, St. Paul.
Draft for human review. This was prepared by AI research and no person has reviewed it yet. Confirm anything important at the source.
How to prepare for a first consultation
Practical steps for a first meeting with a lawyer: what to ask the office beforehand, how to use the time, and what to do afterward.
How fee structures are described
What firms usually mean by flat fee, hourly billing, packages and complimentary consultations, and what to ask so the words become a clear price.
Questions to ask before hiring
A list of practical questions to ask an estate planning lawyer about experience, cost, staffing, timing and access before you hire anyone.
How to use the two official lookups
A walk-through of Minnesota's attorney registration search and the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility lawyer search, and what each one can and cannot tell you.
Fee decoder
What fee language usually means
Key takeaway
Most firms do not publish a dollar figure, so you will have to ask.
We read the public websites of 20 Minnesota firms. Only 2 of 20 publish any dollar figure for estate planning work. 13 of 20 say the first consultation is free. 7 of 20 describe how they charge. 1 of 20 says who does the work. This site gives no prices, because none of these sources lets us do so honestly.
Of 20 firm websites: 13 say the first consultation is free, 7 describe a fee structure, 2 publish a dollar figure, and 1 names who does the work.
Counts from our firm-publishing study. It describes what websites say, not what firms charge or how good they are.
| Term | What it usually means | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Flat fee | One price for a defined list of services. Rule 1.5 allows it and says it is complete payment for those services. (Rule 1.5) | Exactly which documents or steps does it cover? What happens if it takes longer, or if something comes up that is not on the list? |
| Hourly | You pay for time spent, at one or more rates. The total depends on how much work the matter takes. | What is each person's rate? How are small tasks, like calls and emails, counted? Can you give a range, and will you tell me before going over it? |
| Retainer or advance | Money paid before work is done. Under the rule, fees paid in advance are presumed unearned and held in a trust account until earned. (Rule 1.5) | Is this an advance against hourly time, or payment of a flat fee? Where is it held, and how will I see it used? |
| Costs and expenses | Filing fees, copies, recording fees and similar items. They are usually separate from the fee for the lawyer's time. | Which costs are on top of the fee? Roughly how much, and do I approve them first? |
| “Nonrefundable” | Rule 1.5 says fee agreements may not describe any fee as nonrefundable or earned upon receipt. (Rule 1.5) | If the work is not done, what do I get back? |
| Free first meeting | Some firms say the first consultation costs nothing. Others charge for it or do not say. | How long is it, and what is it for? Is any fee owed if I do not hire you? |
The rule’s own words
“The scope of the representation and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses for which the client will be responsible shall be communicated to the client, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing the representation”
“A lawyer may charge a flat fee for specified legal services, which constitutes complete payment for those services and may be paid in whole or in part in advance of the lawyer providing the services.”
First-meeting checklist
Before, during and after the first meeting
Bring
- A one-page summary of what happened or what you want, in your own words.
- A list of what the person owned, and who is named on each account or title.
- Any will, trust, power of attorney or beneficiary forms that already exist.
- The names and ages of the people who matter, and how you can reach them.
- Letters from courts, banks or creditors, if any.
Ask
- Who will actually do the work, and who will I speak with day to day?
- What is your plan for my situation, in plain terms, and what are the other options?
- What will it cost, and how is it charged? What could make it cost more?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me?
- What happens if something changes, or I want to stop?
- How will you keep me informed, and how fast do you reply?
Afterwards
- Write down the fee in your own words and ask them to confirm it. Rule 1.5 says the basis of the fee should be communicated, preferably in writing.
- Compare answers across two or three lawyers using the grid below, not impressions.
- Check each lawyer on the official lookups before you sign.
Write it down
A grid for comparing what you are told
Print this page and fill in one column per lawyer. It compares the answers you are given. It does not rank anyone.
| Ask each lawyer | Lawyer 1 | Lawyer 2 | Lawyer 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work? | |||
| Flat fee, hourly, or other? | |||
| What is included? | |||
| What is extra (costs, other steps)? | |||
| Advance payment, and where held? | |||
| Estimated time | |||
| Written fee agreement offered? |
Provenance
How this was made
Review status: AI research draft. No attorney has reviewed this page.
- Date checked
- Sources below were read on . Laws change, so check the date and read the current text.
- Method
- Rule 1.5 was read on revisor.mn.gov. The counts come from our own reading of 20 firm websites. The glossary and questions are our plain-language reading, not a lawyer's.
- Read for this page
- Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 1.5, Fees
- Firm-publishing study, 20 Minnesota firm websites, counts only
- Older homeowners and law offices, Census counts by county, with questions about travel, expenses and conflicts
- What we do not know
- What any firm actually charges. Only 2 of 20 publish a figure, and we give none.
- Whether the study's 20 firms represent Minnesota firms generally.
- How courts apply Rule 1.5 to a specific agreement.
- Corrections
- Report a correction to rice.john.nextgenai@gmail.com. Please do not include details of your own legal situation.
This site offers general information, not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send us details of your legal situation.