Needed a simple estate will and a lawyer charged me $800 flat fee in Edmonton

Sat down for what I thought was a 30 minute chat but the lawyer spent an hour explaining probate fees and basically upsold me on a trust I didn't need, has anyone else had a lawyer try to push extras during a basic will meeting?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylerr391mo ago

Oh come on, the lawyer did you a favor not a disservice! An hour of a lawyer's time explaining probate fees is actually a bargain compared to the headache you'd have down the road. Probate in Alberta can cost way more than that $800 if your estate is anything complicated, like if you have a house or investments or whatever. The trust thing might have been overkill, sure, but most people don't realize that without a trust their will still goes through probate court which takes months and eats up money. The lawyer was probably trying to save your family from dealing with that mess later, even if it came off as a sales pitch. I'd rather pay a bit extra upfront for a solid plan than let my kids fight with the courts over my couch and savings account.

sarah1981mo ago

Wait hold up, the lawyer billed $800 for explaining probate fees for an hour? That's literally insane. I get that lawyers are expensive but that feels like getting charged for the air in the room lol.

stellawood1mo ago

Yeah but that's like buying a car just to read the manual.