Estate law

[blackpowder]

And a belated thank you for the condolences. Mother was born poor, lived poor, worked like hell, worked harder at dying. Suffered 8 months worse than a dog. Played the cards she was dealt. Webster doesnt know the definition of stoic.

[Oliver88]

Many Law Firms will give you the impression that a percentage of the estate for doing the legal work or probate is a standard thing. It definitely is not. You can negotiate anything except the government probate fee, and for a lot of estates a probate is not required. You do need advice especially if you have not done it before. You can do most of it yourself, but make sure you educate yourself so you don't get in a bind. Estates vary greatly in their complexity and how many and how well the beneficiaries get along.
If there is going to be acrimony then I would let the lawyers handle it, who needs the stress. But you can still negotiate, there are a lot of law firms out there. Good Luck and my condolences on the loss of your parents.

A percentage is a ridiculous concept as a well planned estate is the same amount of work for the lawyer whether is worth $50,000 or 5 million.

There is a lot to learn I see and yes the impression is given that a percentage of the estate is a "standard" thing.

Thanks Blackpowder for bringing up this topic.
Sorry to hear about your loss, take care.