"The most obvious reason for hiring a Long Island real estate attorney when you already have a real estate agent/broker is that the latter is not an attorney! Not only can a real estate attorney interpret the considerable amount of perplexing legal documents that have been thrust into a buyer's or seller's hands at closing, but an attorney is also the only one who has the strictest duty of loyalty to your interests and no one else's.
An agent or broker is important to the transaction in order to help you find the right house or the right buyer for your house. An agent or broker may have many years experience in the real estate industry, attending hundreds of closings without any problems whatsoever and without attorneys. But it is for those unforeseen, out of the ordinary circumstances in which a buyer or seller needs an attorney most, and usually without delay. By the time a buyer or seller needs a real estate attorney, it may be too late!
Attorneys have no other loyalties than to their clients, regardless of how much a transaction is worth. Logically, if the transaction is worth a great deal of money, the commission for agents or brokers will be greater, giving them a greater incentive to provide their utmost efforts. The same may not be true for a transaction of lesser value. A real estate attorney on the other hand has the exact same duty of loyalty to a client involved in a transaction of lesser value compared to any higher value.
It may be best for buyers or sellers to think of an attorney as part of their insurance policy on the house as they proceed. In the best of circumstances, attorneys can help their clients navigate the complexities of the many and various documents a buyer or seller must endure, making helpful suggestions to protect their client's interest. In the worst of circumstances, attorneys can help their clients file legal documents quickly to avoid paying hefty fines or clouding on property title."
