Should I hire an attorney to represent me?
 

Other satisfied Murphy clients have used (or considered using) a law firm or attorney to handle their appeals process. Again this may be an effective course of action, depending upon your situation. Most attorneys perform a variety of appeals, not necessarily just commercial property tax appeals. If so, you should ask yourself the following:

  • Does this attorney or firm have significant experience in real estate tax appeal matters?

  • Is the attorney or firm willing to work on a contingency? Or will legal fees be incurred at an hourly charge or pursuant to a retainer—without any cap, regardless of their success in handling your matter?

  • Will my attorney have to hire an outside valuation expert (e.g. a licensed appraiser)? If so, would additional costs be incurred?

  • Would the involvement of my attorney likely mean the case would go to court---or through extended litigation—at unnecessary expense and time?

  • If my attorney were overzealous in my representation, would it alienate the assessor? If so, could that mean that the only opportunity for a favorable outcome would be a protracted appeal through the court system be?

  • Do you have assurances that your attorney does not have any prospective conflicts of interest (e.g. rezoning clients) on other projects that could impact your property?

Does it make sense to save on professional fees and handle my own tax appeal?

How do I evaluate an experienced outside tax consultant?

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