In the final accounting of my mother's estate, Ravicz made a miscalculation (corrected by the probate examiner) that awarded her an extra $455 in fees. She also billed $3,500 in so-called "extraordinary fees" that were not fully disclosed. When we asked her to explain, she refused and said we'd have to consult a second attorney to object to the billing of the first. If you are going through probate, watch out for these extraordinary fees as it's expensive to contest them.

When it came to the sale of a condo, she approved the use of an inexperienced realtor who had never sold property in the city in question. This decision (she ignored objections) delayed the sale for a year and resulted in a loss of $64,000.

Worse than the above, though, was Ravicz' attitude. Estate settlement can be even more painful and contentious than divorce. A compassionate attorney can make this difficult process more bearable. Instead, Ravicz encouraged conflict, pitting siblings against each other and resorting to intimidation when elementary negotiation skills would have worked better. If you are looking for an estate attorney, spare your heirs needless grief by choosing someone with more Emotional IQ.