The difference between property tax lawyers and property tax consultants falls within their focus. A property tax lawyer worries about your legal liability. They’re licensed lawyers who specialize in property tax law and can represent you in court if necessary. They’re there to help explain this specific type of law to you and help with assessment-related challenges

A property tax consultant focuses on your tax liability. They are usually licensed as Certified Public Accountants rather than having a law degree. They’re well-versed in property tax issues and can help clarify those related to your property tax. Tax consultants can also offer services connected to challenging a property’s tax value.

While you may think you need a property tax lawyer to handle an appeal, you can often get the support you need with a property tax consultant only. This is because the process is primarily composed of standardized paperwork you fill out, and documents you’re required to gather. A consultant can help with that.

A consultant can answer almost all the same questions you’ll have for an attorney as well. However, consulting services are much less expensive.

The only time it may be necessary to bring in a property tax attorney is if you run into legal issues during the appeal process. The right consultant will tell you when this is necessary as well, and may even recommend a lawyer.

Like with most attorneys, real estate tax lawyers typically charge an hourly rate. The actual amount varies based on the size of the market you’re in. Real estate tax attorneys in smaller cities, or even rural areas, typically charge less than those working in urban centers.

The average hourly rate for a real estate tax attorney runs between $175 to $400. However, in metropolitan areas you could pay up to $600 per hour.

Some attorneys will offer flat rates that align to specific services like appeals, litigation, or even help negotiating the terms of a settlement. Flat rates trend toward $750 for simple appeals but can get as high as $5,000 in litigation cases.

Overall costs are also based on the complexity of your case. The more complex, the more expensive, since the more work ends up being required.

If you’re concerned about costs, discussing the estimated price tag your real estate tax attorney expects for your case, based on the details, can help you establish a more realistic fee.

As with any lawyer you hire, there are three areas you want them to excel in. These are:

- Knowledge — you need a lawyer who fully understands property tax as it relates to your specific case.
- Negotiation skills — with strong negotiation skills, your property tax lawyer can keep a dispute from going to court.
- Court experience — just in case you do end up in court, you need a lawyer who’s been there before, with the right experience to be successful in front of a judge.

You can evaluate whether a property tax attorney has these skills by looking at their success rate, checking out feedback from past clients, and taking the time to ask them a few questions before hiring them.

Appropriate questions include:

- What percentage of your practice is in the specific tax issue I need help with?
- What are some of your biggest successes to date in court?
- What are some of your biggest successes to date that came about with negotiation alone?
- What’s your process for handling complex issues?

As the attorney answers these questions, you’ll get a feel for whether you’d enjoy working with them. Combining that sense, with the actual answers, can help you get to know each potential attorney to make an informed decision.

Before you can get to the question-asking stage with property tax lawyers, you have to find the right potentials. You can do a blind search online, but without any help vetting results, you may end up with professionals who don’t meet your standards.

The best place to start is with a referral. Your real estate agent might know someone, or even a lawyer within a different field. You can ask friends or colleagues who’ve needed similar services as well.

If a personal referral isn’t available, and you don’t want to take your chances with a blind search, your next option is to look for a comprehensive database of professionals from a reputable resource.

Real Estate Bees directory of the best property tax attorney services narrows down the options in your area. We’ve vetted the best of the best for you, so you don’t have to worry about who you’re calling on.