TLDR: overly high hourly rate, did not get enough attention to our case to justify price.
After we bought our house, we hired a foundation consultant to come evaluate a sunken corner of the dining room. He found evidence of rot and evidence of the previous owner covering it up with new wood. He recommended us to hire a real estate attorney and sue the seller since they should have disclosed the history of rot. We got a quote from a contractor for $50k for the repairs.
Dave was very responsive by e-mail. He did not offer a free consultation and charges $575/h which is very high, but we thought the price might reflect the quality of work. However, his counsel was subpar. He reviewed our documents and pointed items noted by the inspector that were found in other areas of the house, unrelated to the area in question. When we were evidently very confused, he never offered a call to discuss the details. He kept insisting that we didn't really have a case, so we also didn't want to consume more of his time and burn our money. The demand letter that was drafted was not convincing at all, since Dave never took the time to understand the details. The seller was not convinced and hired their own attorney, at which point Dave advised us not to pursue them in court. That was the only time we talked on the phone.
The subpar letter costed us $1,970. I feel like any attorney could have drafted a letter of this quality, even those who charge $300/h. Do not make the same mistake as me in assuming that higher rates equal higher quality of work. read more
