Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: real estate attorneys

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Stephanie Fassnacht asks:
>How have other groups gone about selecting their attorney?
>What criteria were used?  Were those criteria sufficient?
>Is it the real estate attorney who reviews the by-laws, or is
>another type of lawyer required?  (We were thinking of making a
>first draft of by-laws and then having the attorney help us get
>it in legal form.)

We asked several non-profit and a couple of intentional communities for 
names of attorneys who could do our cooperative. They all gave us the 
same name.  Then, when we wanted to do the Condo, she referred us to a 
couple of attorneys, of which both referred us to the one we used.  It 
turned out later, that the attorney that was reccomended to us for the 
condo was involved in the drafting of the air space condo revisions for 
Washington, so he knew first hand the new law because he helped create it.

When you talk with your attorney be sure she is comfortable with you 
doing the draft work.  You might be able to get draft materials from 
other cohousing groups as a start.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood Cohousing