How a Consumer Hired a Lawyer to Draft an Earnest Money Contract in California

In 2023, a personal client in California sought assistance with drafting an earnest money contract to formalize an agreement among family members regarding financing and living arrangements for an accessory dwelling unit. The client's primary goal was to establish clear terms to manage a total investment of $400,000 for the construction, landscaping, and garage upgrades, while also outlining contingencies should family circumstances change or property be sold. This involved specifying financial return terms based on varying future property equity scenarios. As a result, the client received two proposals from licensed attorneys, with flat fee bids ranging from $750 to $995, all submitted to meet the requested deadline of less than one week.