WTF California lawyers

[Lord of Alcohol]

My Dad died last June and left some properties, one of which he co-owned with my aunt. This left myself and my sister owning 1/2 a duplex in Oceanside CA. To use a Califorinia lawyer it seems you have to pay a percentage of the value of the property. 3% for anything under 100k, 4% in this case. Just to change the names. So they want to charge 4% on "our" half of the value of the property (about 300k though that was pre real eastae crash, maybe 250k now). This not a CA tax, its a fee for using a lawyer. My lawyer here in CO said he should move to CA. WTF kind of bullshit stealing is this? Any CA residents here have any knowledge of this?

[Lord of Alcohol]

Sorry needed to vent on this crap

[Micah Foehammer]

Originally Posted by Lord of Alcohol My Dad died last June and left some properties, one of which he co-owned with my aunt. This left myself and my sister owning 1/2 a duplex in Oceanside CA. To use a Califorinia lawyer it seems you have to pay a percentage of the value of the property. 3% for anything under 100k, 4% in this case. Just to change the names. So they want to charge 4% on "our" half of the value of the property (about 300k though that was pre real eastae crash, maybe 250k now). This not a CA tax, its a fee for using a lawyer. My lawyer here in CO said he should move to CA. WTF kind of bullshit stealing is this? Any CA residents here have any knowledge of this?

Get a second legal opinion.

It sounds to me like the CA lawyer is quoting probate fees. Probate fees in CA are 4% on properties up 100K and 3% on properties over that (not the other way around).

http://www.janmorrisonlaw.com/lawyer...y-1270995.html

Probate fees vary incredibly by state. California isn't the only state with that sort of fee structure.

TL should definitely chime in on this one.

[Lord of Alcohol]

Yep its a probate fee that goes directly to the lawyer. We (my sister and I ) are wanting to work without a lawyer if possible. That fee is ridiculous.