(2005)

Honorable Theresa A. Lawler Chief Judge, Orphans' Court for Baltimore County

You have requested our opinion concerning the circumstances under which a petition for attorney's fees must be filed with the orphans' court when a decedent, typically an individual who suffered from an asbestos-related terminal illness, entered into a contingent fee agreement with an attorney for legal services prior to death. In particular, you ask whether notice to interested persons and creditors of the estate and orphans' court review are required in a number of different scenarios. These scenarios differ…