How do I choose a real estate attorney in California?

Verify the license first through the State Bar of California's public records (only an active licensee may practice law under Business and Professions Code section 6125), then align the practice with the task, since transactional work and property litigation differ. Ask about experience in the county where the property sits and get the fee basis in writing.

Start with verification: every California attorney appears in the State Bar of California's public records, which show license status and any discipline, and only an active licensee may practice law (Business and Professions Code section 6125). Then align the practice with the problem: drafting and closing work, quiet title and partition litigation, and easement or boundary trials are distinct kinds of work, and an attorney can be asked directly how much of each they handle. County experience matters because venue for real property actions is fixed where the land sits (Code of Civil Procedure section 392). Useful consultation questions: whether the dispute is better resolved by negotiation, a recorded agreement, or a court filing; how the mediation and fee clauses in a California Association of Realtors contract affect strategy; who will handle the file day to day; and what the fee basis and likely costs are, in writing, as section 6148 generally requires. Bring the purchase agreement, escrow file, title report, and disclosure statements.

Authority: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6125; State Bar of California