Any Legal Eagles out there? Help with a Will please.

[BigJoe#1]

Anyone had any experience of dealing with Wills and more importantly getting a caveat removed?

In a nutshell we were given an estimate by a solicitor of £1,000 plus vat to administer my Mother in laws will. Midway through we had an update that the Bill would be £500 or £600 more. I say it was an estimate and not a quotation.

Once the work was done we received a final bill of £2293.20 plus vat giving a total of £2752.84.

So from the original estimate for what was a straightforward will the price increased by just under 130% to do what surely is an everyday task for solicitors in this line of work of removing a caveat.

Does it seem excessive?

I think the solicitor is dubious and we had no say in her appointment even though my wife was a joint Executor?

Do these costs seem dubious?

 

[SWP's back]

If it was a straightforward will then they do yeah.

 

[aguero93:20]

So do you have written confirmation of a quote of £1k plus VAT or just an estimate and billing rates?

 

[BigJoe#1]

Loa

So do you have written confirmation of a quote of £1k plus VAT or just an estimate and billing rates?

No not a quote but an email that says "I estimate £1000 plus Vat at £210 plus cat per hour, plus disbursements, AML fees and court fees to complete the estate as it stands" .

The eventual bill was £2752.84 (inc VAT).

And yes SWP it was straight forward, no property or expensive chattles.

 

[aguero93:20]

Loa
No not a quote but an email that says "I estimate £1000 plus Vat at £210 plus cat per hour, plus disbursements, AML fees and court fees to complete the estate as it stands" .

The eventual bill was £2752.84 (inc VAT).

And yes SWP it was straight forward, no property or expensive chattles.

Well that's not actually a quote but an estimate unfortunately, I'm not sure where you stand. I'll ask @gordondaviesmoustache to step in here but add that I think it's worth asking for a breakdown of the fee.

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

Well that's not actually a quote but an estimate unfortunately, I'm not sure where you stand. I'll ask @gordondaviesmoustache to step in here but add that I think it's worth asking for a breakdown of the fee.

I think the solicitor has quoted £210/hr and estimated approx 5hrs (hence the £1000) then all the costs, fees and disbursements on top. That's how I read it, but as you say they need to provide a breakdown to see what these extra costs are.

 

[aguero93:20]

I think the solicitor has quoted £210/hr and estimated approx 5hrs (hence the £1000) then all the costs, fees and disbursements on top. That's how I read it, but as you say they have to provide a breakdown.

Yeah that's the way I read it as well, it's a fucking shite estimate as the estimate should include total costs where possible but it's not a quote. I wouldn't have accepted it but they're past that stage unfortunately.

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

Yeah that's the way I read it as well, it's a fucking shite estimate as the estimate should include total costs where possible but it's not a quote. I wouldn't have accepted it but they're past that stage unfortunately.

I briefly worked in the legal industry and am not surprised.

 

[aguero93:20]

I briefly worked in the legal industry and am not surprised.

I started out in practice Accountancy and it's a shitshow of a quote. We'd always add in state fees and give a fair estimate and we'd expect to be told to fuck off if we handed that quote and that bill out. I.e. It might get paid but we'd never get business off the client or anyone they had the ear of again.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

I think the solicitor has quoted £210/hr and estimated approx 5hrs (hence the £1000) then all the costs, fees and disbursements on top. That's how I read it, but as you say they need to provide a breakdown to see what these extra costs are.

I seem to think this is the case.Plus disbursements and vat which as Aquero has stated would be a shitshow of a quote