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September 4, 2009
Gift for Great Attorneys?
Hi - I just closed (today, yay!) on a condo after a grueling wait for city paperwork and mortgage financing to clear. My attorney was beyond fantastic and the sponsor's attorney was so great I felt like she was also on my side (in the sense that she really wanted to make this deal happen too). She really went to bat for me with the bank. Is it customary to give thank-you gifts beyond the legal fee I am paying? Or maybe it is expected, in which case I'd like to know so I can be extra nice to these two attorneys.
thanks!
Comments
I had a great experience with mine as well and I got him a nice bottle of wine. I think he found it to be a nice gesture of appreciation.
Posted by: Kensingtonian at September 4, 2009 10:43 AM
Our attorney actually got us a house warming gift.
Posted by: newsouthsloper at September 4, 2009 10:56 AM
The rules of professional responsibility for lawyers prohibit *solicitation* of gifts. Unsolicited gifts are OK, but I would take it easy on the value.
Posted by: Lo Kee at September 4, 2009 11:01 AM
I had a friend who was very skillful at closing real estate deals, mostly investment properties. He once showed me the 20 or so unused briefcases in his closet that he received as gifts. If you go this route, skip the monogram so it can at least be re-gifted.
Posted by: altervoce at September 4, 2009 11:08 AM
I agree w/ Kens - bottle of wine.
Posted by: Arkady at September 4, 2009 11:15 AM
How about the greatest gift of all -- referrals.
Posted by: Jail_Bait at September 4, 2009 11:29 AM
Basil Hayden.
Posted by: HoneysuckleWeeks at September 4, 2009 11:30 AM
Everybody likes a nice fruit basket. I would make sure she is a drinker first before giving wine. I am not, and I've had to pass on a lot of bottles of wine.
Not aware of any rule against accepting gifts from an individual who is a private client.
Posted by: likes2lurk at September 4, 2009 12:09 PM
Uh, Rule 1.8(c)(1).
Look at the mountain of ethics opinions on the issue and you'll get an idea of how muddy the waters can be.
Accepting anything with a substantial value is aksing for trouble.
Posted by: Lo Kee at September 4, 2009 12:21 PM
I had a similar experience with my attorney - Zerline Goodman. Your attorney got paid well for the work s/he did, but a small gift of thanks is in my opinion always appropriate. I would not spend more than $35 - it's not necessary. The important thing is the gesture.
Posted by: UnprotectedWrecks at September 4, 2009 12:48 PM
NO NO NO!
Your lawyer was working for you that is why they were helpful. You already paid them a lot more money than they deserved. The only gifting that should be in the process is the real estate agent should buy you a housewarming gift. I wish people would stop feeling the need to gift every single person that they deal with. Generally you do not tip people who make more money than you. You tip bellmen, postal workers, letter carriers, etc. etc.. Would you give $5 to your nephew for their birthday? Would they give you $5 for your birthday?
Posted by: funstraw at September 4, 2009 12:58 PM
funstraw, giving a gift is an emotional decision, not some sort of obligation. OP sounds emotionally grateful. You make me thing of dear old dad, who was fond of buying gifts at the thrift store and wrapping them in used supermarket bags. I would have preferred a heartfelt hug, if he ever could have mustered one up. Joy is for enjoying!
Posted by: altervoce at September 4, 2009 1:41 PM
funstraw - When I moved from the co-op that i was living in, one of the doormen gave me a book of drawings by Rembrandt.
Another idea: make a charitable donation in his/her name. It sort of skirts the eithics issues.
Posted by: quig at September 4, 2009 1:46 PM
why assume they make more than you do?
Posted by: Ringo at September 4, 2009 2:48 PM
funstraw - how is earning an honest living providing a valuable service getting "a lot more money than [the lawyer] deserved"?
A good real estate attorney can save clients time, money and certainly a lot of headaches.
Try closing on your own the next time buy a property. Good luck.
What do you do for work?
I am certain whatever you make, you will still be aksing for a raise at the next opportunity.
Posted by: Lo Kee at September 4, 2009 4:58 PM
Somebody already suggested referrals, so let me second that opinion. I really liked my lawyer (Christine Bell, from Rheem & Bell), so when it came time to write my check, I bumped it up a little so that she got more than the sponsor's attorney. The ~$100 wasn't making or breaking anyone (you know how closings are - the 0s just go flying by), but knowing that I purposely paid her more than the harpy she'd been wrangling with all afternoon made her day.
Posted by: ari at September 4, 2009 6:24 PM
P. S. I just read the part where you said the sponsor's attorney was great too. That's hysterical (especially given my comment about my sponsor's attorney) - shows how much times have changed in the 2+ years since I closed. So, what I did may not work for you. The general guideline for gifts is, I think, the personal touch.
Posted by: ari at September 4, 2009 6:28 PM
"More money than he deserved" Classic nonsense by funstraw. Sometimes I wonder if half of these posters actually have real jobs, or are they just wannabe hipsters posing as; out of work graphic designers. For the record, you shouldn't feel obligated to give your lawyer anything. A nice bottle of wine or a couple of broadway tickets if you're sentimental. As the others have said: Referrals are the best gift.
Posted by: Crownlfc at September 4, 2009 11:46 PM
Hi everyone - OP here. Thanks for the responses. Referrals, of course!
Here is my attorney's name and number. He was fantastic and really made this process go smoothly. I won't go into all the nonsense that transpired waiting for this thing to close, but he stayed on top of this process for 7 months with professionalism, responsiveness and a patience (with my questions as a first-time buyer):
Lawrence Gerson [lgersonesq at aol.com]. I recommend him 100%.
Posted by: intersloper at September 5, 2009 7:54 AM
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