# Legal costs with will, am confused please help



## celestial (9 Jun 2010)

I just cannot believe my late mother's solicit5or is saying her fee is 8 thousand euro . this seems exorbitant. My mother was not a wealthy woman - separated and died in late 40s. Manual worker. . the 8 thousand seems alot even when she says she is taking 50 % drop in fee as there is no money in estate to pay her??!! Is this a normal kind of fee for writing a will and distributing 2 properties and a car? total worth roughly 200k MAX


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## jpd (9 Jun 2010)

Not very clear what you are asking about.

Did your mother make a will ? 

Her estate is worth 200k so there may not be any cash but there is a fair amount of other assets ie €200k. 

With more information it is difficult to estimate the amount of work to be done - are the house deeds in order, income tax returns finalised, etc

You can always ask other solicitors for quotes - solicitors are supposed to inform you of their fee structure before any work is done but in reality, it is very difficult to get a quote.


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## celestial (9 Jun 2010)

Yes that is true jpd . very difficult to get quotes.

My mam was very ill with cancer took her quickly. 

She made her own will couple months before she died. 

She made it in hospital with the only solicitor she knew the one who handled her legal separation from my father.

House deeds are in order -same solr managed these. But solr tells me the houses left to me and my bro are not in our names and nothing is completely done. She is not going to do any further unless she is sure she gets paid.

The plot thickens. My mother's mother(my gran) claimed my mams life insurance the day my mam died i think?! she cashed it in joint account they held..that 13k would cover legal costs but granny wont speak to any of us.. I know shes committed fraud but shes 81yr old woman.. And was it not solrs job to ensure nothing like an insurance policy was taken from estate before probate in the first place?? 

I'm sorry I'm so confused this is right mess


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## celestial (9 Jun 2010)

It was my Mam who employed Solr and she is RIP so we had no choice in shoppin around re costs etc..so not really possible to know price beforehand..Executor is my mothers best friend..She seems ok. But everyone just wants this sorted now.. It's been over a year since mam passed


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## Towger (9 Jun 2010)

As the Executor is not the Solicitor, the Executor can shop around to get a solicitor for a better price.


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## celestial (9 Jun 2010)

ok thanks towger. do you have any idea if that price sounds very high? 

It's just that as mentioned before it's not very easy to compare prices of solrs as its hard to get estimate

not like there's a price list.. pity..

oh this is relevant my grandmother is not mentioned at all in will so dont know what to do about cheque she took ..

I suppose it's executor really but solr is pushing for me to write letter to her saying she should contact my gran re the money missing from estate..


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## mathepac (9 Jun 2010)

I'm actually a bit puzzled as to why the solicitor is engaging with you at all as it sounds to me like her client is the executor and not you, therefore you have no authority to get prices / quotes and potentially move the administration of the estate to another firm / solicitor, nor do you have any right to information other than what the executor authorises the solicitor to release to you.

Are you sure your mother's best friend is the named executor in the will?


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## celestial (9 Jun 2010)

Yes am sure of that . Saw the will. Well I wouldnt be moving it or getting prices . more concern for more hassle for my mom's friend.. I guess what I really wanted to know was
: Does this solicitor seem a bit screwey?
It's been helpful on here just to know that the will could be moved I  didnt know that before today.

The reason i was saying about prices and checkin other law practices as I just thought the figure way above 10,000 euro for a will extortionate. 
Before this messy crap id have thought that figure more appropriate for an estate of millions. 

Lookin through other threads, at least i'm not alone in this .

The moral ringing through: YOU CANt take it with you..


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## becky (9 Jun 2010)

I'd look at as 4% of the assets worth, which in my opinion a good price. At least she managed to get her affairs in some sort of order. My dads mom died suddenly and it tooks years to sort out.


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## rosemartin (9 Jun 2010)

completely understand where you are coming from.,I had a similarproblemwith my dads will which was made 20 years before he died.  dad only left 14,000 in cash and the family home, it was valued ttwo and half years ago at 230,00. the solicitor adds all up and takrs a precentage of total, it does average out between 3 and 4 %.  it is some shock when ours asked nearly €8,000. lost the head with her and got her down to 4,000.  if it happened again and you are the executor, i would take the will and go to the probate office myself, they will give you every assistance.  it is all very straight forward,  but it is the execution of wills when family members are under stress where certain solicitors show their true colours.


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## Pat Bateman (9 Jun 2010)

Shouldn't the executor agree the legal fees with the solicitor (and with the best interests of the estate in mind)?

I know my father recently acted as executor in relation to a will. He agreed a fee with the solicitor, ran it by the beneficaries out of courtesy to them and then ran with it.


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## celestial (11 Jun 2010)

Pat Thanks for the reply.  In theory that is perfect solution. 

However. As the eldest of mam's children was 26/7 when death was occured. Even a year later we have grown alot - had to - I know 26 sounds old to outsider - but in many ways we were treated as kids..

Suited my grandmother v. much to do this so she could shut us off when it suited.

Executor is doing her best I believe, think she finds it all scary n her n my gran r not at All on friendly terms so cant discuss anything with her..

Courtesy is a great thing when it happens.

PS Hope I am using this forum n posting n d correct way etc.. it's my first time KInd regards to everyone who posts here n especially those who have posted to help with my current predicament.


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## celestial (11 Jun 2010)

Rosemartin see this is another grey area for me.

when to see different solr n a firm n d city. My solr is older and rural. Dont know if this is relavant but city solr said percentages are archaic and not proper way to calculate legal fees. Especially where conveyance is concerned . 
I could definitely see his point for eg. where the property market has balooned - wages luckily(depending on way u look at it ) not so much..

Wow that great idea bout going to probate office oneself! But dont want to screw anything up for my brother he's taking death n will badly . Obviously would not me be doing this -- executor. who I dont want to leave out of pocket. But my mam left her  car I presume this was her reasoning..
Conveyance, transfer of ownership,, issue with mom's assurance policy which i think may be tied to 2nd (not v valuable property)..

Thank you for your perspective it really helps just to have somewhere to chat it out without worrying what the charge per minute is !


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## celestial (11 Jun 2010)

Hi BECKY
true true but at same time its alot of money when you dont have it .. Solr knows my gran has the money and whats going so my feeling this her responsibilty . 
13k would take care of fees and then some.. Gran did something iilgeal afterall..


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## Pat Bateman (11 Jun 2010)

The €8K fee is too high in my view.

It should be somewhere between €3,000 and €5,000 plus VAT plus outlay. With all due respect to your late mother, this is a mickey mouse job. 

The executor should be doing her job and facing down both the solicitor and your grandmother. The solicitor needs to be advised that he/she should "sharpen their pencil" or else they'll lose the gig. Similarly, your grandmother needs to be advised that the €13,000 forms part of your late mother's estate and must be repaid.

If the executor does her job properly, you shouldn't be drawn into any conflict with your family.


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