Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

If the solicitor has referred to this as being 'purely a requirement' then it seems to me that very likely that, rather than there being an specific fee quote, there may have been a generic "Section 68" letter (which would seem to need some updating....) in circumstances where the fee to be ultimately charged was always intended to be a good deal less.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

The solicitor in this case or in any other for that matter should not really be able to use an archaic "section 68" letter to justify this fee. They should charge an appropriate fee for the work that they have carried out. Work that would not likely in this case come to even a third of this bill. Why could they have not given some indication of their fees involved at the start that would have enabled the poster to query it before they received the bill and not after.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

"Why could they have not given some indication of their fees involved at the start.."

They should have done. No doubt. And the indication would have been better if it were case-specific rather than a generic indication based on a largely obsolete scale.

".....that would have enabled the poster to query it before they received the bill and not after. "

On re-reading the OP's original post, I don't think they are yet at the stage of having a bill to query.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

Given that this does indeed seem to be the case that he has no bill yet it seems like it would be very foolish of the op to sign this document and return it. He/she does certainly not agree to paying 2.5% of the estate. So would it not be in their interest to wait for the final bill and query this. Its the solicitors fault they did not give their client an indication of fees/charging structure before commencing on the file.
 
Dear Jumper1,I beg you to contact the Probate Office and ask them for the do it yourself method of taking out Probate.They are unbelieveably helpfull. A couple of hours paper work , it is all very simple. You do not require legal knowledge for what you have detailed......good luck and keep the money in the family.mymoney
 

Fully agree with the above - best, cheapest, quickest way of doing things for standard cases such as children inheriting parents estate.

I know several people who have done this.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

csirl said:
Fully agree with the above - best, cheapest, quickest way of doing things for standard cases such as children inheriting parents estate.

I know several people who have done this.
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Original posters original post.

"but with siblings involved it was best to keep at arms length and i did not want to deal with things at that time."

mf
 
Original posters original post.

"but with siblings involved it was best to keep at arms length and i did not want to deal with things at that time."

mf
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Sometimes there can be a lot less hastle with the Probate Office than dealing with a solicitor who's intent on making as much money as he can.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

Make sure you ask him why he didn't send out a section.68 letter up front, like he's supposed to.
 
The solictor is obliged to inform you BEFORE he takes on the work what he proposes to charge you . why do all solictors seem to use the phrase we wont fall out about it when you question fees .. I suggest you negoiate like hell over fees ..He knows you never aggreed these fees so have fun . I suggest 1% is fair especially seen as you have done most of the work and I would imagine the bulk of the estate is tied up in the family home
 
i did the probate on an estate my self last year. Estate was only valued tho at 500000 and charge was 5 hundred i think. It was very straight forward. Just a lot of running around geting bank statements etc On the day it took half hour in the probate offive and half hour in the tax office. probate arrived 3 weeks later!

Our solicitor actually reccomended we do it our selves ass he said his firms fee was too high!!!
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

Dear Jumper1,Why dont you contact the Probate office and request their informationon on self assessment <DIY>. Its very easy and from all your previous information this particular Probate could not be easier.The Probate office are very helpfull and quick.Good luck and keep the money in your and your relations pockets.Mymoney.
 
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Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

"Its very easy and from all your previous information this particular Probate could not be easier."

This really is a nonsense statement. Anonymous posters on anonymous boards do not give enough information to enable anyone to make such a broad, sweeping statement. The OP has received a lot of very helpful suggestions as to how, based on the original query, s/he can proceed to deal with it.

Many Probates are easy. Many are not.

mf
 
I have, i know its a bit late , rang up other Solicitors and they have quoted me between 3,000 to 8,000 Plus Vat .
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Make sure you have a max figure in mind when you meet the solicitor. He will try to browbeat you into accepting a large figure. Do not hesitate to tell him you have got a quote of €3000 and be prepared to say you are getting someone else to do it if he does not agree a reasonable figure (from what you say above, €8000 should be the absolute max). If he complains about all the work he has done that is his tough luck and his fault for not giving you the obligatory quote. Remember (from what it seems) he has tried to rip you off so have no sympathy for him and be inclined to take the job away from him, he appears to be a rip off merchant. I do not think he would have any claim for any fees if you do as he did not give the obligatory quote. Good luck.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000

Allen said:
. I do not think he would have any claim for any fees if you do as he did not give the obligatory quote.
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This is not the case, ie even though the solicitor does not issue the required fee quote at the outset, he is still entitled to bill, and get paid, for his work, even if the client does not necessarily agree with the amount charged. This in my opinion makes a mockery of the requirement to produce a "fees quote" letter in the first instance.
 
Re: Probate using Solicitor costing € 40,000


But the OP also stated "Solicitor said everything was very straight forward and no complications". Op also seems to have done a lot of the work himself anyway (bar the trek to the probate office to deal with very very helpful staff). I agree with other posters that DIY probate would have been the best course here.
 
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