how long does it take a lawyer to review a contract

by Bart Kassulke 8 min read

How long does a real estate attorney have to review a contract?

Although I tell my clients to let me know before they sign a contact, the fact of the matter is, once you sign a real estate contract an attorney has five business days for a “review period” and to propose modifications.

How much does it cost to review a contract?

As an example, a quick and easy contract review will cost around $250, a mid-level review might cost anywhere from $250 to $1,500, and a complex review might cost a few thousand dollars. A good tip is to know what you want the attorney to look for or what conclusions you want them to draw.

Do I need a lawyer to review my employment contract?

At reasonable employment contract review cost, having a lawyer to review an employment contract could make all the difference in the future for your employment. The contract review attorney fee will vary based on many different factors and the contract lawyer you decide to work with.

How long does the Attorney review period last?

The attorney review period lasts three days and begins when each party receives a copy of the fully signed contract of sale. Weekend days and holidays do not count as one of the days of the review period. Additionally, the day that the buyer and seller each receive fully signed copies of the contract is not counted in the period.

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How long should a lawyer take to respond?

A: The lawyer should be responsive to your questions within 24-48 hours after you left a message. If the lawyer is not responsive, perhaps he or she is on vacation and unable to return.

What is a contract review process?

A contract review is a contractual process used to identify and analyse the key provisions within an agreement. A legal professional will read each contract thoroughly to understand the terms and conditions and highlight risks or relevant information.

How long do you have to look over a contract?

Breach of a written contract: Four years from the date the contract was broken. Breach of an oral contract: Two years from the date the contract was broken. Property damage: Three years from the date the damage occurred.

Do lawyers take a long time to respond?

Your Lawyer Is Busy with Other Cases Even if your lawyer is working on another case, they should still get back to you within a day or two at the most. Your lawyer owes you responsive communication, even if you're not their only client. There's no excuse for an attorney who takes weeks to return calls or emails.

Who is supposed to review contracts?

The best person to review these matters is an attorney. Lawyers have the knowledge and experience to review contracts and to put any concerns to rest about the document.

Why do we need to review contracts?

Why do you need to review contracts? The purpose of a contract review is to ensure that legal agreements and the terms contained within them are robust, and that legal and financial risk is reduced as far as possible to protect the interests of your business.

How often should your lawyer contact you?

There is no set formula for how often you will hear from your attorney. However, the key to a successful attorney client relationship is communication. Whenever there is an important occurrence in your case you will be contacted or notified.

How do you know if your lawyer is working for you?

Check your lawyer on legal sites such as Avvo or nolo, as well as on general sites like Google Places and Yelp! to see what other clients have to say. Search peer-review online databases such as martindale.com to see comments and opinions from other lawyers. 5. Get another lawyer's opinion.

What should you not say to a lawyer?

Five things not to say to a lawyer (if you want them to take you..."The Judge is biased against me" Is it possible that the Judge is "biased" against you? ... "Everyone is out to get me" ... "It's the principle that counts" ... "I don't have the money to pay you" ... Waiting until after the fact.

What does it mean to hire a lawyer for a contract review?

Hiring a lawyer for contract review can mean a few different things depending on your specific situation. You can protect your financial interests by understanding what a lawyer will do when reviewing a contract in various circumstances.

What is contract review with edits?

A basic contract review with edits gets more comprehensive than the previous two kinds of contract reviews. A lawyer will review your contract, making notes about any problem areas. The lawyer will also edit your contract to correct the issues they find. Known as redlining a contract, this editing process can help speed up your agreement process overall by ensuring the contract you want to use fulfills legal requirements.

What can a lawyer do for you?

A lawyer can not only deal with the reviewing, editing, and redlining of a contract, but can also negotiate the contract on your behalf. Serious contract negotiations can get difficult and heated, creating tension between the parties before the parties ever reach an agreement. A lawyer can act as an uninvolved third party to allow for progress with negotiations.

What is the least expensive contract review?

This type of contract review is generally the least expensive kind of review. You can work with a lawyer to review a contract for one specific issue about which you have questions. Issue-specific contract review offers a good way to gain confidence before signing an agreement, even if you are on a smaller budget.

What is hourly pricing?

Lawyers using this type of pricing ask for a retainer before starting an assignment. As lawyers work, they subtract the hourly fees they set from the retainer. They do this until the work is completed (or until you need to replenish the retainer).

What happens if you change your attorney review?

If any part of the contract is changed during the attorney review process, then the attorney review period is extended until all parties agree on the requested changes. If there are no changes during the attorney review period, then the review period is automatically concluded, and the signed contract is binding.

What happens if a real estate attorney is involved early in the buying or selling process?

If a real estate attorney is involved early in the buying or selling process, the attorney can review the contract and may be able to prevent some unexpected or negative developments from arising.

Is attorney review stressful?

The attorney review process can be a stressful period. For example, those who are selling their property may want to keep it on the market until the review period has concluded out of concern that the buyers will back out. On the contrary, buyers who are serious about buying may get concerned during this period that sellers may get ...

What is contract review?

Contract review is the process of thoroughly reading and understanding a contract before agreeing to its terms. It can be conducted either manually or by using contract automation software.

Why do you need to review contracts?

Have you ever signed a document without reading what you’re signing? Most people have - not to mention the number of policies we just click through and opt into without reading them ( readable privacy policy, anyone?)

Who should review contracts?

The contract review process often includes several people, depending on the stakeholders involved in the contract itself.

How to review contracts

Most lawyers still spend an average of three hours each day working with Microsoft Word documents. While Word has a rich set of features for editing offline files, critical issues with the platform are frequently encountered if you use it to review contracts. These might include:

How long does an attorney review last?

All monies paid under the contract (e.g. deposits) are then refunded to the respective parties. The attorney review period lasts three days and begins when each party receives a copy of the fully signed contract of sale.

What is attorney review period?

The attorney review period is the time when both the buyer and seller have the right to consult with an attorney, who can then review the terms of the contract, make changes, or “disapprove” (i.e. terminate) the agreement for any reason (or no reason at all). If the contract is terminated, the transaction is cancelled.

How long does a realtor have to consult with an attorney in New Jersey?

However, in New Jersey, each contract prepared by a realtor must contain a clause allowing you to consult with an attorney within three days. For the buyer and seller, this is an important right that should always be exercised.

Why is it important to exercise the attorney review period?

In short, it is important for each party to exercise their right to the attorney review period in order to ensure that they understand the terms of the contract and to protect their legal rights.

Who prepares contracts for real estate in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, most contracts to buy and sell residential real estate are prepared by real estate brokers or salespeople . The contract’s purpose it to set forth the respective obligations of the buyer and seller during the transaction.

Is it worth paying a small legal fee to buy a home?

Since the purchase or sale of a home is likely the largest financial transaction you will undertake in your life, it is well worth the relatively small legal fee paid to ensure that your financial and legal rights are protected, and the transaction goes smoothly.

Do weekends count as a review day?

Weekend days and holidays do not count as one of the days of the review period. Additionally, the day that the buyer and seller each receive fully signed copies of the contract is not counted in the period.

What happens if a contract does not state what you wanted?

If the contract does not state what you wanted, it may be cancelled.

Do you have to sign a contract when buying real estate?

When you are buying real estate you have to sign a contract. Once the contract is signed by the seller time becomes of the essence. People believe that once you sign a real estate contract, everything in the contract is final. That is not true. Although I tell my clients to let me know before they sign a contact, the fact of the matter is, ...

Can you ask for an extension on a real estate contract?

As long as you have something scheduled, asking for an extension should not be a problem. In summary, once you sign a real estate contract you still have time to change the contract if you are within the attorney review period. When considering whether to sign a contract, please get a copy over to my office as soon as possible.

When should a legal document be reviewed?

Document review is also recommended any time you make changes to a legal document or your situation changes.

Why is a legal document review important?

Any time you make changes to a legal document or your situation changes, a legal document review is a good idea to ensure your interests are protected. What type of documents can be reviewed? Your attorney can review any contract, agreement or document you choose, including those that don’t require your signature.

How many pages should a legal plan document be?

Before signing your legal documents, make sure that the fine print doesn’t leave you at risk. As a legal plan member, you get attorney review of documents up to 10 pages in length at no extra charge.

Is LegalZoom an advertisement?

ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT: This portion of the LegalZoom website is an advertisement. This portion of the LegalZoom website is not a lawyer referral service. LegalZoom does not endorse or recommend any lawyer or law firm who advertises on our site.

How much does it cost to hire a lawyer to review a contract?

Here are some factors it can depend upon: Depending on these, and many more factors, hiring a lawyer to review a contract can be quite steep, ranging from $300 and $1,000. In case you want them to actually draft and negotiate the contract for you, it could get even more expensive, falling somewhere between $500 and $3,000.

Why do you need a contract review lawyer?

Understanding exactly what you need a contract review lawyer to do when they review your contract will help you make the decision whether or not you want to make the investment in hiring an attorney.

What is issue specific contract review?

An issue-specific contract review is the most economical option if spending money is the most important factor for you. If you are mostly happy with the contract, but not quite clear on some of the specific terms or issues, or need a specific clause of the contract explained, the lawyer will just look over those specific areas of concern. A lawyer can help decipher the legalese and explain those terms in common English so you can figure out if they work for you. You don’t want to sign things you don’t understand, so if you're on a tight budget, but still need the peace of mind, this is a good way to feel more confident before signing the agreement.

What is redlining a contract?

In the legal world, this is known as “redlining a contract”, which can really help the whole process move along more smoothly. In other words, you don’t have to discuss the changes in your agreement with the other party, as they will receive the contract already finished with the option to accept or deny.

Do lawyers charge flat fees?

Each lawyer sets his or her own prices depending on their own level of expertise and the fees they charge can vary greatly from one attorney to the next. Most of the time, however, lawyers use either flat-fee pricing or hourly pricing when they get hired to review a business contract.

Can attorney fees hurt your pocket?

In short, if you can limit the extent of the contract review, the attorney fees will not hurt your pocket as much. But you need to understand that there is always a quid-pro-quo, and you will have to accept the fact that your attorney will not review any other aspects of the contract except the ones you circled.

Is contract review more expensive than basic level?

This type of contract review will definitely be more costly than the basic level, but you will get much deeper involvement from your attorney. Instead of having your lawyer just review your document, point out what needs to be fixed in your contract, and answer your questions, they will provide you with a version of your contract ...

What is contract review?

A general contract review can be a great way to gain a basic understanding of your legal contract as a whole. With the help of an experienced contract review attorney, you can better understand your rights and obligations under a particular contract.

Can you have a contract that you understand but have a few specific questions or concerns?

In some cases, you might have a contract that you understand generally but you have a few specific questions or concerns. If this is the case for you, you might seek out an issue-specific contract review.

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What Is Contract Review?

Why Do You Need to Review Contracts?

  • The purpose of a contract review is to ensure that legal agreements and the terms contained within them are robust, and that legal and financial risk is reduced as far as possible to protect the interests of your business. Have you ever signed a document without reading what you’re signing? Most people have - not to mention the number of policies we just click through and opt into with…
See more on juro.com

Who Should Review Contracts?

  • The contract review process often includes several people, depending on the stakeholders involved in the contract itself. It might begin with the sales representative, who drafts the initial contract and decides the key values, having taken basic terms from the template. This person should review the entire agreement carefully for accuracy before forwarding it to the counterpart…
See more on juro.com

How to Review Contracts

  • Contract review process in Microsoft Word
    Most lawyers still spend an average of three hours each dayworking with Microsoft Word documents. While Word has a rich set of features for editing offline files, critical issues with the platform are frequently encountered if you use it to review contracts. These might include: Usin…
  • Contract review process in Juro
    Juro is the all-in-one contract automation platform that allows users to review contracts in-browser with a seamless, flexible approval workflow and the ability to skip back through previous versions with one click. This means legal and business teams can automate routine contract wo…
See more on juro.com