# Oil and Gas lawyer questions?
**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249
**Category:** Oil and Gas Leasing Help
**Created:** [December 10, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249 "2017-12-10T23:12:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wv\_living](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Wv_living)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/1 "2017-12-10T23:12:31Z")
Hello I have been offered a lease contract on property and am wondering the going rate a lawyer would charge to negotiate a lease. The contract is fairly simple and deals with 12-13 acres.
Does anyone know a fair flat rate amount a lawyer would charge or the percentage of a bonus they would require? Thanks for your time and I apologize but this is all new to me.
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### Author:  [@WV\_Mineral\_Owner](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/WV_Mineral_Owner)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/2 "2017-12-11T03:14:19Z")
WV Living,
I use an attorney to negotiate all my leases in West Virginia, the going rate is anywhere from $500 to $1,000, which I consider cheap insurance.
Feel free to contact me through the site and I will give you a recommendation.
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### Author:  [@Wv\_living](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Wv_living)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2017, 12:30pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/3 "2017-12-11T12:30:42Z")
Thank you so much for your help. Just trying not to get ripped off by a lawyer.
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### Author:  [@PHYLLIS\_TIMS](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/PHYLLIS_TIMS)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/4 "2017-12-11T23:48:30Z")
Good luck on that.
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### Author:  [@WV\_Mineral\_Owner](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/WV_Mineral_Owner)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2018, 3:52am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/6 "2018-02-23T03:52:47Z")
I have serious questions on the abilities of a Landman vs. an Attorney. One or two words can mean a significant difference, but I am only speaking from personal experience. What type of malpractice does the Landman carry in the event of an error?
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### Author:  [@PHYLLIS\_TIMS](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/PHYLLIS_TIMS)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/8 "2018-02-23T16:47:54Z")
I paid an attorney $2225 and all he did was look at the lease. He told me $450 an hour and I didn’t think it would take that many hours. Signed a contract so I was stuck with it. Be wary.
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### Author:  [@Henry\_Michael](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Henry_Michael)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2018, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/9 "2018-02-23T18:14:39Z")
That is what I am worried about. I’m going to try this landman company and see what happens.
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### Author:  [@John\_Johnston](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/John_Johnston)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/10 "2018-03-14T02:47:28Z")
Amen brother!
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### Author:  [@Andrew2](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Andrew2)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2018, 10:20am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/11 "2018-03-14T10:20:48Z")
I believe that an experienced oil and gas attorney would generally be a better choice than a landman for actually drafting the lease, especially if the property is medium to large in size. An oil and gas lease is a contract, and if there is a dispute over the lease, every single word in that contract will matter. I have seen cases literally turn on the placement of a punctuation mark such as a comma or a parentheses, or on the use of the indefinite article “an” as opposed the definite article “the.” While such things may seem trivial to a layman, they do matter to judges, and they can have million dollar consequences for the mineral owner. This is why I generally recommend using an attorney to draft the actual lease form.
That said, attorneys are not all created equal. All lawyers have various different kinds of expertise, and some lawyers are just plain better than others. Hiring a lawyer that practices personal injury law to negotiate your oil and gas lease makes about as much sense as going to a proctologist to set your broken bone - either one is technically qualified to perform the task, but neither would be the right choice for your situation.
A good landman or mineral manager can be a tremendous asset to a mineral owner in negotiating a lease, and in many cases a landman can be a better option than an attorney who doesn’t practice oil and gas law. Mineral Managers such as Buddy Cotten, who posts on this forum, can be as knowledgeable as most oil and gas attorneys about oil and gas lease provisions and clauses, and they will generally have their own lease form that has been vetted by an oil and gas attorney. If you can find a good mineral manager who is well-qualified, that would be a great way to go.
Whether you go with an attorney or landman/mineral manager, you should ask for a flat fee to negotiate your lease rather than an hourly rate. Attorneys will generally cost more than the landman, but not always.
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### Author:  [@WV\_Mineral\_Owner](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/WV_Mineral_Owner)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2018, 11:40am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/12 "2018-03-14T11:40:20Z")
Well Stated!
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### Author:  [@Kitchen](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Kitchen)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2018, 12:57pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/13 "2018-03-14T12:57:05Z")
Kyle Nuttall is a member of this forum and West Virginia lawyer specializing in Oil and Gas matters.
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### Author:  [@Will\_Ashlock](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Will_Ashlock)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/14 "2018-09-11T00:15:16Z")
Does anyone have a good attorney who lives in the West Texas area?
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### Author:  [@wade\_caldwell](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/wade_caldwell)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 12:27pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/15 "2018-09-11T12:27:51Z")
Will, Would suggest posting this in the Reeves County group, as you may get more responses.
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### Author:  [@MRFAdmin\_SV](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/MRFAdmin_SV)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/oil-and-gas-lawyer-questions/26249/16 "2025-01-11T19:27:13Z")