Forget about the fact that you have to start over: that is irrelevant to this situation, is not the lawyer's fault (he did not plan or expect to die then, we presume), and does not invalidate any work he did. If the lawyer did the work, you have to pay him--or in this case, his lawfirm or his estate (estate if he was a sole practitioner). If you believe the bill was overstated or overcharged for the work done, you could offer to pay only what you think is fair: if they accept that, that will resolve the matter; if they refuse, you could let them sue you for the money and try to prove in court that the work was overbilled in some way (billed for more hours than it took; billed for work that was flawed and unusuable; etc.).Of course, this is only an issue if the estate (since his law firm is evidently closed) comes after you for the money; if they forget about it, it's a non-issue. So wait to see if they even seek the money; if they do, try to settle for what you think is fair; if they won't settle, decide if you'd rather pay or fight in court.