About how much can I expect in lawyer fees? -

I am currently in the midst of filing a dispute with a loan that my mother (recently deceased) had taken out without my or my family s knowledge. It s a very very large loan, and forged mine and my dad s signatures...I am thinking that I may need to get a lawyer for this but hesitant due to how much money this might cost... ..Does anyone have any idea what kind of money range I d be looking at?

How much you can expect to pay is the lawyer s rate for the amount of time expended plus any/all expenses unless you can prove who forged the signatures and that may allow you to sue for damages and collect the whole sum from that individual. If forgery occurred you definitely need to retain an attorney now...not later...to protect your interest in this matter.

Rates for lawyers vary depending on location, practice area, and firm size. If you stick with a small / mid-sized firm (5 to 100 lawyers) in a second tier market (for example, Springfield, IL v. Chicago) you should be able to find someone in the range of $150 to $200 per hour, but check around. Try the martindale hubble firm directory at www.martindale.com to find a couple local firms that practice in loans and estates (sounds like you might have an estate issue), give them a call, and compare rates.