Due Diligence
Real estate attorneys can also become involved in a transaction after the deal points have been agreed upon and in that case the real estate attorney reviews and provides advice on the details of the transactions. Clients will negotiate their own deals, sign a contract and then ask the lawyer to review it. Sometimes called “due diligence,” the lawyer in this role will then examine legal title issues, environmental issues and reports, boundary survey and access issues, zoning restrictions, and any other contracts or documents involved in the transaction. Real estate lawyers have training that allows them to spot issues that their clients do not recognize. In this role, the real estate lawyer plays guardian for the client to make sure the client does not fall into any legal traps.