Do I need a real estate lawyer to buy or sell a house?

Do you need a real estate lawyer? What the law says, state by state

Often the law does not require one. "Depending on your state's laws, you may not be required to have an attorney at the closing," the CFPB says. Who runs the closing depends on the state: in most of the country, a settlement agent from a title insurance company; in other states, particularly in the West, an escrow agent, and the parties usually sign separately; and some states, particularly in the Northeast and South, require a closing attorney. CFPB: Do I need an attorney · CFPB: Shop for closing services

Only your own lawyer represents you. Unless you hire an attorney to represent you, no one else at the closing exclusively represents your interests. The lender's or seller's attorney does not represent you, and where a state requires an attorney at the closing, that attorney has a primary responsibility to the lender. CFPB: Do I need an attorney

Where the law gives a lawyer a role in a home closing. Only states whose rule this page read today on an official site are listed:

What a real estate lawyer does for a buyer and a seller

A real estate lawyer gives you legal advice on the deal and the property, and represents you, not the lender or the seller. The tasks that the laws above reserve to lawyers show the job: examining and explaining the title, drafting the deed and other documents, explaining the contract and the loan papers, and handling the closing money. N.C. State Bar Opinion 2002-1 · Mass. Gen. Laws c. 221, § 46E

Deeds are not all alike. A quitclaim deed transfers only the interest the grantor has, with no promise that the grantor owns the property; see Quitclaim deed. A transfer on death deed passes a home at death without probate in the states that allow it (map below). California DRE Reference Book

When to call one. The most useful moment is before you sign the purchase contract, because the contract sets the terms. The 3 business days before closing are the last calm moment to review the numbers. And if something at the closing table does not add up, the CFPB says: "don't be afraid to stop the closing." CFPB: Close the deal

Your closing dates under federal law: the 3 business day rules

Federal law, not your state, sets the dates of a home loan closing. The TILA-RESPA rules in Regulation Z give you the Loan Estimate soon after you apply and the Closing Disclosure before you sign, and let you cancel a refinance. 12 C.F.R. §§ 1026.19, 1026.23

Two kinds of business day. For the Loan Estimate, a business day is a day the lender's offices are open to the public for substantially all of its business. For the Closing Disclosure and the right to cancel, the rule is precise: all calendar days except Sundays and the legal public holidays, such as New Year's Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. So Saturdays count. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.2(a)(6)

• A new 3-day wait. If the annual percentage rate becomes inaccurate, the loan product changes or a prepayment penalty is added before closing, you must get a corrected Closing Disclosure at least 3 business days before closing. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.19(f)(2)(ii)
• Waiving the wait is allowed only for a bona fide personal financial emergency, in a dated written statement that describes it and is signed by every borrower. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.19(f)(1)(iv)
• No right to cancel a loan to buy or build your main home, a refinance with the same lender that adds no new money, or a loan from a state agency. Cancelling a refinance does not cancel your old loan. CFPB · 12 C.F.R. § 1026.23(f)

Wire fraud at closing: what to do before and after you send money

Scammers send emails that look like they come from your real estate agent, settlement agent or lawyer, with a last-minute change to the wiring instructions for your closing money. "Don't wire money in response to an unexpected email. It's a scam," the FTC says. FTC: Home equity loans · CFPB: Mortgage closing scams

• Pick two trusted people early, such as your real estate agent and your settlement agent, and talk through in person or by phone how the closing money will be sent. Write down their numbers. CFPB
• Confirm the instructions by phone, at a number you saved earlier, never one in the email. CFPB · FTC
• Do not click links or open attachments in a closing email until you have confirmed it, and never email financial information. CFPB
• Be careful on the phone too: scammers also call and ask you to verify personal information. CFPB

Title insurance, and who you use for the closing

• You can usually shop for title insurance separately from your mortgage, and buying both policies from the same company usually costs less in total. The lender's suggested providers may be its affiliates. CFPB: Owner's title insurance · CFPB: Shop for closing services
• The seller cannot make you use its title company. A seller who requires the buyer to buy title insurance from a particular company as a condition of the sale is liable to the buyer for three times all the charges for that title insurance. 12 U.S.C. § 2608
• No referral fees. Federal law bans any fee, kickback or thing of value for referring settlement business on a federally related mortgage loan. The penalty is a fine of up to $10,000, up to 1 year in prison, or both, and liability for three times the charge. 12 U.S.C. § 2607(a), (d)

A co-owner on the deed: when you cannot agree

A co-owner on the deed owns part of the property. When co-owners cannot agree, the statutes this page read give a court case called partition: the court divides the property among the owners or, where it cannot be divided, can order a sale. The statutes:

• Texas. A joint owner or claimant of real property may compel a partition among the joint owners or claimants, in a district court of a county where any part of the property is.Tex. Prop. Code §§ 23.001, 23.002
• Florida. Any one or more joint tenants, tenants in common or coparceners may file a partition action against their cotenants; partition actions are in chancery, and the chapter provides for a sale where the land cannot be divided. Part II is the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act.Fla. Stat. §§ 64.011, 64.031, 64.071, 64.201-64.214

Partition statutes in other states were not checked for this page. A lawyer in the state where the property is can tell you which one applies and whether a buyout or a sale is possible.

Real estate law by state: adverse possession and transfer on death deeds

Two state rules this guide has already read from each state's own law: how many years someone must openly use land before a claim by adverse possession, and whether a home can pass at death with a transfer on death deed. The full rules, with the exceptions, are in Adverse possession and Transfer on death deed.

A state marked "Not checked for this page" was not read for these guides; it does not mean the state has no such rule.

Behind on the mortgage: the federal foreclosure clock

Your servicer generally cannot make the first notice or filing for a foreclosure until your loan is more than 120 days delinquent. Delinquency starts on the due date of the payment you missed, and a day means a calendar day. 12 C.F.R. §§ 1024.31, 1024.41(f)(1)

• Your home. These rules cover a mortgage on your principal residence. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.30(c)(2)
• A small servicer, one that with its affiliates services 5,000 or fewer mortgage loans that it or an affiliate made or owns, is exempt from most of these steps. It still cannot make the first filing before the loan is more than 120 days delinquent, or move ahead while you keep to a loss mitigation agreement. 12 C.F.R. §§ 1024.30(b)(1), 1024.41(j) · 12 C.F.R. § 1026.41(e)(4)
• One full review. A servicer need not repeat the review for a later complete application if you have been delinquent at all times since the first one. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(i)
• State law adds its own steps, such as notices, mediation programs and whether a court is involved. They were not checked for this page: ask a housing counselor or a lawyer in your state.

Write to your mortgage servicer: a notice of error or a request for information

A letter gives you deadlines that a phone call does not. Include your name, your loan account number, and the error or the information you want. Do not write it on a payment coupon, and send it to the address the servicer set for these letters, which can differ from where you send payments. CFPB: Dispute an error · 12 C.F.R. §§ 1024.35(a), 1024.36(a)

Here a business day is different. These servicing rules count days "excluding legal public holidays, Saturdays, and Sundays": Saturdays do not count, unlike the closing rules above. The CFPB puts it as five business days to confirm and 30 business days to answer. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.35(d) · CFPB: Qualified written request

• No bad credit report for 60 days. After it gets a notice of error, the servicer may not report negative information about the disputed payment to a credit bureau for 60 days. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.35(i)(1)
• Ask for the documents. If the servicer says there was no error, it must send you, at no charge, the documents it relied on within 15 business days of your request. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.35(e)(4)
• A letter does not stop a foreclosure by itself, except for an error about a first filing or a sale that breaks the rules above. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.35(i)(2)
• A qualified written request (QWR) about an error or information is handled the same way. CFPB: Qualified written request

What a real estate lawyer costs, and who pays

No federal rule, and no state rule this page read, sets a real estate lawyer's fee. Ask whether the fee is flat or hourly and what it covers, and get the scope and the fee in writing, as the ABA model rule expects. Money paid in advance goes into a client trust account. ABA Model Rules 1.5, 1.15

• Who pays depends on the contract. No federal rule decides who pays the lawyers at a closing. Where the law does not say who pays a cost, local custom usually decides, and the purchase contract can change it. Some costs are set by law: in New York the seller pays the state transfer tax. See Transfer tax. N.Y. Tax Law § 1404(a)
• A required closing attorney is not automatically your lawyer: where a state requires one, the CFPB notes, that attorney has a primary responsibility to the lender. Ask in writing whom the lawyer represents.
• Nobody may pay for the referral. A lawyer, agent or lender who pays or takes a fee just for sending you to a settlement provider breaks federal law (above). 12 U.S.C. § 2607(a)

Bar-run referral services connect you with a lawyer for your kind of problem. The ones this guide has checked publish a first-consultation price: the State Bar of Texas service up to $20 for up to 30 minutes, The Florida Bar service up to $25 for 30 minutes, and the New York State Bar Association service normally $35 for the first half hour; California certifies its referral services, which you search by county. See Find a lawyer or free legal aid for the details.

Free and low-cost help, and the guides for other property problems

• Renting, not buying: Tenant rights and An eviction notice.
• A homeowners association: HOA rules, fines and records, with a records letter for each state checked.
• A boundary, or someone using your land: Adverse possession.
• A deed or a home after a death: Quitclaim deed, Transfer on death deed and Probate.
• A sale made at your home, or a refinance you want to cancel: Cancel a sale within 3 days.

Check a lawyer's license in your state before you hire

Check the license in the state where the property is. In Delaware, Massachusetts and North Carolina, the rules above reserve closing work to lawyers licensed there. Ask for the lawyer's own name, and check that person before you hire.

Lawyers are licensed by a state agency in each state, and that agency can tell you whether a person has a law license and may practice there, the American Bar Association says. Its list names the agency in every state: in some it is the state bar, in others the state's highest court or one of its agencies. The table below gives each one, with a link where the site is a government or state-bar site this guide links to. ABA: Lawyer Licensing

• Search the exact name on the license, and check that the status is active and the person is allowed to practice now.
• Look for public discipline. Many of these searches show it, and the same agency handles complaints about lawyers.
• A lawyer from another state usually cannot handle a case in your state's courts unless the court lets them in for that case.
• A business name is not a license. Ask for the lawyer’s own name and check that person, not the firm.

Your first meeting with a real estate lawyer: what to bring and ask

Bring the purchase contract (signed or draft), every paper from the lender or the title company, the deed if you own the home, and any letter from your servicer, the HOA or a co-owner. Ask:

• “In which state are you licensed, and do you handle closings or disputes like mine?”
• “Whom do you represent at the closing: me, the lender or both?”
• “Is your fee flat or hourly, what does it cover, and is it paid at closing?”
• “What in the contract, the title commitment or the survey worries you?”
• “Which dates matter: the contract deadlines, the Closing Disclosure, the right to cancel, a foreclosure sale?”
• “How will you send me wire instructions, and how do I confirm them?”

Common questions about real estate lawyers

Official sources

1. CFPB: Do I need an attorney or anyone else to represent me when closing on a mortgage? consumerfinance.gov
2. CFPB: Who should I expect to see at my mortgage closing? consumerfinance.gov
3. CFPB: Shop for title insurance and other closing services (settlement agent, escrow agent, closing attorney) consumerfinance.gov
4. CFPB: Close the deal consumerfinance.gov
5. CFPB: Review documents before closing consumerfinance.gov
6. Delaware Supreme Court: Matter of Mid-Atlantic Settlement Services, Inc., No. 102, 2000 (May 31, 2000), Office of Disciplinary Counsel digest courts.delaware.gov
7. Mass. Gen. Laws c. 221, § 46E: real estate closings; unauthorized practice of law (added by St. 2023, c. 2, § 22) mass.gov
8. Mass.gov: Massachusetts law about real estate conveyancing (quoting Mass. Gen. Laws c. 93, § 70) mass.gov
9. North Carolina State Bar: Authorized Practice Advisory Opinion 2002-1, the role of laypersons in residential real estate closings (revised January 26, 2012) ncbar.gov
10. S.C. Code § 37-10-102: the borrower's preference of closing attorney (Title 37, Chapter 10) scstatehouse.gov
11. Tex. Gov't Code § 83.001: preparing instruments affecting title to real property texas.gov
12. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.2(a)(6): definition of business day, Regulation Z consumerfinance.gov
13. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.19(e) and (f): Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure timing, Regulation Z consumerfinance.gov
14. Regulation Z, Supplement I, comments 19(e)(1)(iii)-1, 19(f)(1)(ii)-1 and 19(f)(1)(iii)-1 and -2 (examples) consumerfinance.gov
15. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.23: right of rescission, Regulation Z consumerfinance.gov
16. CFPB: Can I change my mind after I sign the closing documents for a second mortgage or refinance? consumerfinance.gov
17. CFPB: How long do I have to rescind? When does the right of rescission start? consumerfinance.gov
18. CFPB: Are there situations where I would not have a right of rescission? consumerfinance.gov
19. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.23: Right of rescission, Regulation Z (1-1-25 edition) govinfo.gov
20. CFPB: Mortgage closing scams: how to protect yourself and your closing funds consumerfinance.gov
21. CFPB: Buying a home? Beware of mortgage closing scams (one-page guide, PDF) consumerfinance.gov
22. FTC: Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (mortgage closing scams) ftc.gov
23. FBI: Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), file a complaint ic3.gov
24. CFPB: What is owner's title insurance? consumerfinance.gov
25. CFPB: What is lender's title insurance? consumerfinance.gov
26. CFPB: TRID title insurance disclosure factsheet (owner's policy optional) consumerfinance.gov
27. 12 U.S.C. § 2608: title companies; liability of seller (RESPA section 9) govinfo.gov
28. 12 U.S.C. § 2607: prohibition against kickbacks and unearned fees (RESPA section 8) govinfo.gov
29. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.14: prohibition against kickbacks and unearned fees, Regulation X consumerfinance.gov
30. Tex. Prop. Code ch. 23: partition (§§ 23.001, 23.002) texas.gov
31. Fla. Stat. ch. 64: partition of property (§§ 64.011, 64.031, 64.071; Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act §§ 64.201-64.214) state.fl.us
32. Fla. Stat. § 82.036: limited alternative remedy to remove unauthorized persons from residential real property flsenate.gov
33. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.31: definitions (day, delinquency), Regulation X consumerfinance.gov
34. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.39: early intervention requirements for certain borrowers consumerfinance.gov
35. Regulation X, Supplement I, comments 39(a)-1 and 39(b)(1) (examples) consumerfinance.gov
36. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.41: loss mitigation procedures (120 days, 37 days, 45 days, appeals, small servicers) consumerfinance.gov
37. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.30: scope (small servicers, principal residence) consumerfinance.gov
38. 12 C.F.R. § 1026.41(e)(4): small servicer defined, Regulation Z consumerfinance.gov
39. CFPB: Find a housing counselor consumerfinance.gov
40. CFPB: What is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, and how can they help me? consumerfinance.gov
41. HUD: Avoiding foreclosure ((800) 569-4287) hud.gov
42. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.35: error resolution procedures, Regulation X consumerfinance.gov
43. 12 C.F.R. § 1024.36: requests for information, Regulation X consumerfinance.gov
44. CFPB: How do I dispute an error or request information about my mortgage? consumerfinance.gov
45. CFPB: What is a Qualified Written Request (QWR)? consumerfinance.gov
46. CFPB: Submit a complaint consumerfinance.gov
47. California Department of Real Estate, Reference Book, Chapter 7: Principal instruments of transfer (deeds, acknowledgment, recording) (PDF) dre.ca.gov
48. N.Y. Tax Law § 1404: who pays nysenate.gov
49. Legal Services Corporation: I need legal help lsc.gov
50. California: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 325 (elements as stated in CACI No. 4900, 2026 edition) courts.ca.gov
51. Texas: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.026 tcss.legis.texas.gov
52. Florida: Fla. Stat. §§ 95.12, 95.18 (2026) flsenate.gov
53. New York: N.Y. CPLR 212(a); RPAPL § 501 nysenate.gov
54. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania case law (Recreation Land Corp. v. Hartzfield, 947 A.2d 771 (Pa. Super. 2008), as quoted in Zaloga v. Borough of Moosic, M.D. Pa. 2011); statute 42 Pa.C.S. § 5530 NOT read on a .gov page govinfo.gov
55. Illinois: 735 ILCS 5/13-101 (as applied in Brandhorst v. Johnson, 2014 IL App (4th) 130923) illinoiscourts.gov
56. Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.04 (quoted in Leffel v. Village of Casstown, S.D. Ohio No. 3:17-cv-79, Report and Recommendations, Oct. 17, 2017) govinfo.gov
57. Georgia: O.C.G.A. § 44-5-163 (quoted in Jackson v. United States, Fed. Cl. Nos. 14-397L, 15-194L, Nov. 20, 2017) govinfo.gov
58. North Carolina: Mobley v. Griffin, 10 S.E. 142 (N.C. 1889), as quoted in Bevirt v. United States (Fed. Cl. 2025); statutes G.S. 1-38 and 1-40 NOT read on a .gov page govinfo.gov
59. Michigan: MCL 600.5801(4) (quoted in Marlette Auto Wash, LLC v Van Dyke SC Props, LLC, 501 Mich 192 (2018)) courts.michigan.gov
60. Virginia: Va. Code § 8.01-236 law.lis.virginia.gov
61. Washington: RCW 4.16.020 (cited in Ofuasia v. Smurr, No. 48145-6-II, Wash. Ct. App. 2017, published) courts.wa.gov
62. Arizona: A.R.S. § 12-526 azleg.gov
63. Maryland: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-103 mgaleg.maryland.gov
64. Missouri: RSMo § 516.010 revisor.mo.gov
65. Minnesota: Minn. Stat. § 541.02 revisor.mn.gov
66. South Carolina: S.C. Code § 15-67-210 scstatehouse.gov
67. Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-575(a) cga.ct.gov
68. Colorado: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-41-101(1) (cited in Robinson v. Oil Shale Corp., D. Colo. 2018) govinfo.gov
69. Tennessee: Cumulus Broadcasting, Inc. v. Shim, 226 S.W.3d 366 (Tenn. 2007), as quoted in Bourque v. Bank of America (M.D. Tenn. 2018) govinfo.gov
70. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-405, beneficiary deeds; recording; with the statutory deed and revocation forms (current text) azleg.gov
71. Cal. Prob. Code § 5642, the statutory revocable TOD deed form and its "common questions" (as amended by AB 288, effective Jan 1, 2024) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
72. Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 15, Article 15, Part 4: beneficiary deeds, with the statutory deed and revocation forms (Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services, uncertified printout) content.leg.colorado.gov
73. Del. Code tit. 25, ch. 2, Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (85 Del. Laws, c. 212), with the optional deed and revocation forms delcode.delaware.gov
74. D.C. Code § 19-604.09, requirements of a transfer on death deed (D.C. Law 19-230, Mar 19, 2013) code.dccouncil.gov
75. Georgia Office of Legislative Counsel, Summary of General Statutes Enacted at the 2024 Session (Act 496, SB 420: transfer-on-death deeds, effective July 1, 2024) legis.ga.gov
76. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 527-9, requirements: recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances or filed with the Land Court registrar before death capitol.hawaii.gov
77. 755 ILCS 27/40, requirements of a transfer on death instrument (P.A. 102-68, eff. Jan 1, 2022) ilga.gov
78. K.S.A. 59-3501, real estate; transfer-on-death (Kansas Revisor of Statutes, current text) ksrevisor.gov
79. Kentucky General Assembly, 2026 Regular Session, Senate Bill 34 (Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act): bill record and actions apps.legislature.ky.gov
80. Maine Revised Statutes, Title 18-C, Article 6 (nonprobate transfers on death), incl. Part 4, Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (generated Oct 20, 2025) legislature.maine.gov
81. 2026 Laws of Maryland, Chapter 751 (House Bill 738), Maryland Transfer-on-Death Deed Act, approved May 26, 2026, effective Oct 1, 2026 mgaleg.maryland.gov
82. Minn. Stat. § 507.071, transfer on death deeds, with the statutory deed and revocation forms and the public assistance clearance rules (current text, amended 2025) revisor.mn.gov
83. Mississippi Legislature, 2020 Regular Session, House Bill 729 (Mississippi Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act; create): history, died in committee billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
84. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 461.025, deeds effective on death of owner (beneficiary deeds), current text effective Aug 28, 1995 revisor.mo.gov
85. Mont. Code Ann. § 72-6-408, requirements (Montana Code Annotated 2025) mca.legmt.gov
86. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-3410, essential elements, warnings, recording within 30 days and before death (amended Laws 2025, LB422) nebraskalegislature.gov
87. Nev. Rev. Stat. chapter 111, NRS 111.655 to 111.699, deed upon death, with the deed, revocation and Death of Grantor Affidavit forms leg.state.nv.us
88. N.H. RSA 563-D:9, requirements: title, recording before death and within 60 days of signing (eff. July 1, 2024) gc.nh.gov
89. N.Y. Real Property Law § 424, transfer on death deed, with the statutory deed and revocation forms (New York State Senate, current text) nysenate.gov
90. N.D. Cent. Code ch. 30.1-32.1, Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (North Dakota Legislative Branch, current text) ndlegis.gov
91. Ohio Rev. Code § 5302.22, transfer on death designation affidavit (effective Dec 28, 2009) codes.ohio.gov
92. Or. Rev. Stat. chapter 93, §§ 93.948 to 93.985, Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, with the statutory deed form (2025 edition) oregonlegislature.gov
93. S.D. Codified Laws § 29A-6-408, requirements of a transfer on death deed (SL 2014, ch 133) sdlegislature.gov
94. Texas Estates Code chapter 114, Texas Real Property Transfer on Death Act (Texas Legislative Council file server for statutes.capitol.texas.gov, current text) tcss.legis.texas.gov
95. Utah Code Title 75, Chapter 6 (nonprobate transfers), Part 4, Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, with the optional form (re-enacted 2024) le.utah.gov
96. 27 V.S.A. chapter 6, Enhanced Life Estate Deed Act ("Lady Bird" deeds), with the optional form, effective July 13, 2020 (Vermont Statutes Online, through the 2026 session) legislature.vermont.gov
97. Va. Code § 64.2-628, requirements of a transfer on death deed (amended 2022) law.lis.virginia.gov
98. RCW 64.80.060, requirements of a transfer on death deed (2014 c 58) app.leg.wa.gov
99. W. Va. Code § 36-12-9, requirements of a transfer on death deed code.wvlegislature.gov
100. Wis. Stat. ch. 705 (2023-24 Wis. Stats., certified May 22, 2026), § 705.15, nonprobate transfer of real property on death docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
101. Wyoming Statutes Title 2 (wills, decedents' estates and probate code), §§ 2-18-103 to 2-18-105: transfer on death deed, form and revocation form (Wyoming Legislature, current compilation) wyoleg.gov
102. ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5: Fees (written fee terms, contingent fees, the ban in criminal and divorce cases) americanbar.org
103. ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.15: Safekeeping property (fees paid in advance go into a client trust account) americanbar.org
104. State Bar of Texas: Lawyer Referral & Information Service texasbar.com
105. The Florida Bar: Lawyer Referral Service floridabar.org
106. New York State Bar Association: Lawyer Referral Service nysba.org
107. State Bar of California: certified lawyer referral services calbar.ca.gov
108. American Bar Association: Lawyer Licensing (the agency that licenses lawyers in each state, with its search), opened November 1, 2026 americanbar.org
109. Arkansas: Arkansas Judiciary attorney search, as the ABA lists it attorneyinfo.aoc.arkansas.gov
110. California: State Bar of California attorney search, as the ABA lists it apps.calbar.ca.gov
111. Connecticut: Connecticut Judicial Branch attorney and firm inquiry, as the ABA lists it jud.ct.gov
112. Florida: The Florida Bar member search, as the ABA lists it floridabar.org
113. Idaho: Idaho State Bar attorney roster, as the ABA lists it isb.idaho.gov
114. Indiana: Indiana Roll of Attorneys, as the ABA lists it courtapps.in.gov
115. Maine: Maine attorney directory, as the ABA lists it maine.gov
116. Maryland: Maryland Courts attorney search, as the ABA lists it mdcourts.gov
117. Minnesota: Minnesota Lawyer Registration Office public search, as the ABA lists it lro.mn.gov
118. Nebraska: Nebraska lawyer search, as the ABA lists it mcle.wcc.ne.gov
119. New York: New York State Unified Court System attorney search, as the ABA lists it iapps.courts.state.ny.us
120. North Carolina: North Carolina State Bar license verification, as the ABA lists it portal.ncbar.gov
121. North Dakota: North Dakota Courts lawyer search, as the ABA lists it ndcourts.gov
122. Ohio: Supreme Court of Ohio attorney search, as the ABA lists it supremecourt.ohio.gov
123. Texas: State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer, as the ABA lists it texasbar.com

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