Free Services — Rules and Restrictions

Last Updated: April 18, 2026

As part of the way we work, Vanderpool Law offers two services at no charge to clients who choose us to handle their closing: Contract Review and Presearch. This page explains how each works and what the fine print actually says.

These Are Client-Initiated Services — You Have to Ask

Free Contract Review and Free Presearch only start when you ask. We can't work on what we don't know about. We don't find out about your closing on our own — not from your Realtor, not from a lender, not from a title company, not from anyone. If you want us to review a contract or run a Presearch on a property, send us the document (or the property details) along with a request. Until you do, we haven't started — and we have no duty to reach out to you. It's obvious once it's said out loud, but we'd rather say it clearly here than leave it unsaid.

Contract Review

Free when you close with us. If you retain Vanderpool Law to close your transaction, we will review your purchase agreement or listing contract at no separate charge. You will not see a line item for contract review on your final settlement statement. The service is delivered as part of the engagement.

$500 if you close elsewhere. If we review your contract but you choose to close with another firm, the contract review fee is $500, billed after the review is complete. We'll let you know up front if we expect this to apply.

Presearch — Preliminary Title Review

What it is. A preliminary review of public records — deeds, mortgages, judgments, tax liens, recorded easements, and obvious title clouds — paired with a brief written summary of red flags and recommended next steps. In most cases a Presearch surfaces roughly 95% of the title issues that a full title search would find, with enough lead time for our attorneys to sort them out before closing day — not 24 hours before.

What it isn't. A Presearch is not a full title search, a title insurance commitment, or an opinion of marketable title.

Free when you close with us. If you retain Vanderpool Law to close your transaction, there is no separate charge for the Presearch. You will not see a line item for it on your final settlement statement — like Contract Review, it is delivered as part of the engagement.

$500 if you close elsewhere. If we produce a Presearch and you close with another firm, the Presearch fee is $500, billed after delivery.

Rules That Apply to Both Services

Scope

Free Contract Review and Presearch are limited to one Tennessee residential purchase or sale per household per transaction. Commercial matters, multi-party transactions, relocation packages, and out-of-state property require a separate fee quote and written engagement.

No attorney-client relationship until engagement

Neither Contract Review nor Presearch, by itself, creates an attorney-client relationship. Representation begins only when Vanderpool Law and you sign a written engagement letter. Anything you share with us before that engagement may not be protected by attorney-client privilege.

Conflict check first

Before we review anything, we run a conflict-of-interest check. If we already represent another party to your transaction, we will decline and tell you why.

We may decline

The firm reserves the right to decline any Contract Review or Presearch — including matters outside our practice, matters requiring more urgency than we can give them, or situations involving a conflict.

Free = a preliminary look. Some situations need more.

Our free Contract Review and free Presearch are done with very little knowledge of your specific situation — we see what's on the page, we check what's in the public records, and we walk you through what we find.

For most clients, that's plenty. It catches most of what's worth catching, answers most of what's worth asking, and saves most of the money that's worth saving.

But it may not meet your situation. Unusual circumstances — a trust-held property, a divorce, a builder dispute, an estate you're folding into the transaction, tax questions you haven't worked through — don't surface from a preliminary look, because we don't know enough about you yet to make it go that deep.

If your situation calls for more, we offer more. Not at the free level — in a paid engagement where we learn the full picture, give legal advice tailored to you, and handle whatever the matter actually requires. Tell us what's going on when you reach out. If a free preliminary review covers it, great. If you'd benefit from a paid consultation, we'll say so and quote the fee up front.

Already signed? Not too late.

You can still come to us. Already signed your purchase or listing agreement? Bring it along. We'll still review it, still run a Presearch, and still handle your transaction from here — at the same price any title company would charge. The Tennessee Realtors standard contract leaves closing representation to the buyer and seller, right up until closing. That choice is yours. Reach out any time.

Offer subject to change

Vanderpool Law may modify or withdraw the free Contract Review or Presearch offer at any time, without notice. The terms of any review already in progress will be honored as originally offered.

Ready to talk?

If you have a contract you'd like us to review, or a property you'd like us to Presearch before you sign or list, get in touch. We'll confirm eligibility, run a conflict check, and let you know how soon we can turn it around.