What Does a Connecticut Real Estate Attorney Do When You Buy a Home?

Quick answer: In Connecticut, a real estate closing must be conducted by a Connecticut-admitted attorney under Public Act 19-88, effective October 1, 2019, and anyone else doing it is engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. Your attorney reviews the contract, searches the title, arranges title insurance, often closes your mortgage for the lender as well, handles the closing money, and records your deed with the town clerk. The seller, not the buyer, pays the Connecticut real estate conveyance tax in a standard sale.

If you have bought a home in another state, the attorney's role here may feel different. I'm Rachel Natal, a Realtor with Real Broker LLC, and here is what your attorney does, what they do not do, and how the steps fit together after your offer is accepted. Every transaction is different, so confirm the details with your own attorney and lender.

Why do Connecticut home purchases need an attorney?

Connecticut treats closings as legal work. Public Act 19-88 requires anyone conducting a real estate closing to be a Connecticut-admitted attorney in good standing. It covers mortgage loan closings and any sale where money is paid to change ownership of real property. Doing it without that status is the unauthorized practice of law.

The Connecticut Practice Book also says that giving advice on or representing someone in a real estate transaction, including drafting legal documents, is the practice of law.

In plain terms: your Realtor helps you find the home, negotiate and keep the deal moving. Your attorney handles the legal side and the closing itself.

What happens after your offer is accepted?

Timing varies by deal, but this is the usual order in Connecticut.

1. Accepted offer. Have your attorney picked out before this point, so nothing waits on you.
2. The purchase contract. In some Connecticut deals, the signed offer is a broker form contract that becomes binding once both sides sign. In others, the attorneys negotiate a separate purchase agreement. Either way, have your attorney review it before you sign.
3. Home inspection. Your contract sets a deadline for inspections. Miss it and you can lose the right to cancel and get your deposit back.
4. Mortgage commitment. Your lender orders the appraisal and underwrites the loan. The contract usually has a financing deadline too.
5. Title search. Your attorney searches the town land records, often going back at least 40 years, to confirm the seller owns the home and to find mortgages, liens, easements or restrictions.
6. Title insurance. Your attorney usually orders the policies.
7. Survey, if needed. Some lenders or situations call for one. Ask your attorney.
8. Closing Disclosure. Under federal rules, your lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you close.
9. Final walkthrough. You check that the home is in the condition the contract requires.
10. Closing. You sign the loan papers, the money moves through the attorneys, and the deed is delivered.
11. Recording. Your attorney records the deed and your mortgage on the town land records at the town clerk's office.

About the three-day rule

A new three-business-day review is required only if the APR rises by more than 1/8 of a point on a fixed-rate loan (1/4 on an adjustable), a prepayment penalty is added, or the loan product changes. Typos and most issues found at the walkthrough do not restart the clock.

Who does the buyer's attorney represent, and what about the lender?

Your attorney represents you. They explain the contract, watch your deadlines, review the title and walk you through the loan documents at closing.

In many Connecticut purchases, the lender also hires your attorney to close its loan, so the same attorney works for you and for the lender at closing. Your attorney sends the lender the closing figures and makes sure the lender's conditions are met. If that arrangement matters to you, ask your attorney exactly who they represent and for what.

The seller has their own attorney, who works for the seller.

What is title insurance, and do you need an owner's policy?

There are two kinds:

• Lender's policy: protects the lender, up to the loan amount. Most lenders require it.
• Owner's policy: protects you if someone later claims a right to the home because of a problem in the title. It is optional, but worth a real conversation with your attorney.

Title insurance is paid once, at closing, not every year. The total cost is usually lower if you buy both policies from the same provider. In Connecticut, the buyer's attorney often acts as the title insurance agent.

Who pays the Connecticut conveyance tax?

The seller. Connecticut law makes the conveyance tax payable by the person conveying the property, and it is paid when the deed is recorded. In a standard sale, the buyer does not pay it.

The rates in effect for residential sales since July 1, 2020:

• State tax: 0.75 percent on the first $800,000, 1.25 percent on the portion from $800,000 to $2.5 million, and 2.25 percent on the portion over $2.5 million.
• Municipal tax: 0.25 percent in every town. Certain eligible towns can add up to another 0.25 percent.

Examples in a town with only the base 0.25 percent municipal tax:

• A $400,000 sale: $3,000 state plus $1,000 municipal = $4,000, paid by the seller.
• A $1,000,000 sale: $6,000 on the first $800,000 plus $2,500 on the next $200,000 = $8,500 state, plus $2,500 municipal = $11,000.

If you are also selling a home in Connecticut, this is a cost to plan for on that side.

How do you protect your closing money from wire fraud?

Scammers target closings because large amounts move by wire. The scam usually arrives as an email that looks like it came from your attorney or agent, with "updated" wiring instructions.

• Get wiring instructions from your attorney early, and confirm them by phone using a number you already saved, not one from the email.
• Treat any last-minute change to wiring instructions as a red flag.
• Do not click links or call numbers inside a suspicious email.
• Call your attorney after you send the wire to confirm they received it.
• If something goes wrong, call your bank immediately and report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Timing is critical.

How do you choose a real estate attorney, and what should you ask?

Pick a Connecticut attorney who handles residential purchases regularly, and do it before you write offers. Questions worth asking:

1. Do you handle residential purchases in this town and county often?
2. What is your fee, what does it include, and can I get the quote in writing?
3. What will title insurance and other closing costs likely be?
4. Will you also represent my lender at closing?
5. Who on your team will I talk with day to day, and how fast do you return calls?
6. How do you send wiring instructions, and how should I verify them?
7. Can you review the offer or contract before I sign?

Fees vary from attorney to attorney and deal to deal, so ask for a quote up front. Title insurance is often one of the larger closing costs, so ask for an estimate of that early too.

What does the attorney not do?

• They are not your home inspector. Hire a licensed inspector to check the house itself.
• They are not your lender. Your rate, loan approval and appraisal come from the lender.
• They are not your insurance agent. Homeowners and flood insurance come from an insurance agent.
• They are not your Realtor. Pricing, showings and negotiating the offer are my part.

Your property taxes also deserve a close look before you buy. Read how Connecticut mill rates and property taxes work, or a town guide like Manchester, Wethersfield or New Haven.

Frequently asked questions about Connecticut real estate attorneys

Do you need an attorney to buy a house in Connecticut?

Yes, for the closing. Since October 1, 2019, Public Act 19-88 has required anyone conducting a real estate closing in Connecticut to be a Connecticut-admitted attorney in good standing.

Does the buyer's attorney also represent the lender in Connecticut?

Often, yes. In many Connecticut purchases the lender hires the buyer's attorney to close the loan, so ask your attorney exactly who they represent and for what.

Who pays the conveyance tax in Connecticut?

The seller pays the Connecticut real estate conveyance tax in a standard sale, not the buyer. The state rate is 0.75 percent on the first $800,000 of a residential sale, plus a municipal tax of at least 0.25 percent.

What is the conveyance tax on a $400,000 home in Connecticut?

In a town with only the base municipal tax, it is $3,000 state plus $1,000 municipal, or $4,000. The seller pays it.

Is owner's title insurance required in Connecticut?

Most lenders require a lender's title policy, but the owner's policy is optional. It protects you, not the lender, and is paid once at closing.

How many days before closing do you get the Closing Disclosure?

Federal rules require your lender to give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you close. A bigger APR increase, a new prepayment penalty or a change in loan product restarts that three-day period.

Who records the deed in Connecticut?

After closing, the buyer's attorney records the deed and the new mortgage on the town land records at the town clerk's office in the town where the home is located.

How much does a real estate attorney cost in Connecticut?

Fees vary by attorney and by deal, so ask for a written quote before you hire anyone. Ask for an estimate of title insurance too, since it is often one of the larger closing costs.

Want help with this?

If you are getting ready to buy, I am happy to walk you through the timeline and what to line up first. No pressure and no obligation.

• Send me a message or call or text (917) 231-7390
• Search homes for sale in Connecticut
• New to buying? Read where to actually start when buying your first home in Connecticut

Rachel Natal, Realtor
Real Broker LLC | Licensed in Connecticut and Massachusetts
100 Pearl St, Hartford, CT 06103

Facts checked October 2026. Sources: Connecticut General Assembly (Public Act 19-88 summary and General Statutes chapter 223), Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cummings and Lockwood, and Willinger, Willinger and Bucci.

This article is general real estate information. It is not legal, tax, lending or inspection advice. Taxes, assessments, utilities, school assignments and market conditions change, so confirm the details for any specific property with the town and the right licensed professionals.