We received our division orders last week for the portion of our property in the McClain drilling unit here in Millwood township, Guernsey county Ohio.

Curiously, our division orders (from Chesapeake) state in bold print that if the information is correct they do not need to be signed and returned. This is not what I expected from everything I have been told.

So yesterday I began calling around to various law firms inquiring about some royalty statement auditing as well as legal representation in the eventuality that it will be needed.

Nothing really major, made one appointment, awaiting some return calls and some telling me to call again when we receive our first royalty check and statement.

Two different conversations stood out to me. In one I was told that the fee is $235 an hour just to discuss what our relationship would look like. I explained to the person on the phone that they are the only entity I spoke with who required a fee for the initial consultation. I am planning on an email to verify that I understand their position, certainly I shouldn't be charged for them giving me the specifics of what and how they do the job and what it will cost me. This firm is the one that I have heard the most good things about and I really wanted to get a little deeper into the matter with them.

Another is not a law firm. They audit your statements for accuracy of the math and the reported production given to the state as well as what your lease terms dictate and if (when) a discrepancy is found they go to the producer to inquire further. The most intriguing part is that they teach the landowner how to read and compute their royalty statements, which I am very desirous to learn.

Two more calls today before I prioritize the contacts for a face to face meeting.

I intend to be proactive in verifying my royalty accuracy. I want what my lease dictates and am willing to put some skin in the game to that end.

I appreciate any insight anyone can offer.