Sorry to bore you with a long post.
In sept 2003 my brother in law was killed in a RTA. There was no will left and all there was the cost of the cars finance and his life assurance. We asked a local solicitor to handle the case and probate. He said that it would be fine and he would handle it all. My parents in law been next of kin renounced their role and asked their daughter (my wife) to be the administrator. Inquest was in March 2004. As the estate was strauight forward we expected probate to be granted shortly thereafter. That's where things started to go wrong.
The solictor would not do what we asked of him. We asked why things were going so slowly. Phone calls were not answered and the staff were surly. The only way to get some response was to write a stiff letter and we got some response and he would promise to speed things up.
Probate was eventually granted in Dec 2005. Great we started to think that it would end soon. One of the creditors a well known finance company were breathing down our necks looking for their money. On his advice we contacted the bank and negoiated a settlement which was satasfactory to both sides. We told the solicitor of the news and he made my wife sign a letter authourising him to pay the bank. He promised to send them a bank draft within 7 days to pay them. He never did. First we knew was when the bank called us to tell us they had received nothing. They had been writing/calling the solicitor to get answers but he won't respond to them. We then wrote to him demanding an explanation of what was going on. I delivered the letter by hand to his office. That was over 2 weeks ago and again no reply has been received. The bank called again looking for their money yesterday.
Everyone is now at the end of their tether with this. What can we do to get the solictor to play ball? I really wish we got someone else. I have no confidence in him at all now.
I was thinking of sending a registered letter addressed to the practice making a formal complaint and giving them a week to respond or its off to the law society. Would that be too strong? Any suggestions?
In sept 2003 my brother in law was killed in a RTA. There was no will left and all there was the cost of the cars finance and his life assurance. We asked a local solicitor to handle the case and probate. He said that it would be fine and he would handle it all. My parents in law been next of kin renounced their role and asked their daughter (my wife) to be the administrator. Inquest was in March 2004. As the estate was strauight forward we expected probate to be granted shortly thereafter. That's where things started to go wrong.
The solictor would not do what we asked of him. We asked why things were going so slowly. Phone calls were not answered and the staff were surly. The only way to get some response was to write a stiff letter and we got some response and he would promise to speed things up.
Probate was eventually granted in Dec 2005. Great we started to think that it would end soon. One of the creditors a well known finance company were breathing down our necks looking for their money. On his advice we contacted the bank and negoiated a settlement which was satasfactory to both sides. We told the solicitor of the news and he made my wife sign a letter authourising him to pay the bank. He promised to send them a bank draft within 7 days to pay them. He never did. First we knew was when the bank called us to tell us they had received nothing. They had been writing/calling the solicitor to get answers but he won't respond to them. We then wrote to him demanding an explanation of what was going on. I delivered the letter by hand to his office. That was over 2 weeks ago and again no reply has been received. The bank called again looking for their money yesterday.
Everyone is now at the end of their tether with this. What can we do to get the solictor to play ball? I really wish we got someone else. I have no confidence in him at all now.
I was thinking of sending a registered letter addressed to the practice making a formal complaint and giving them a week to respond or its off to the law society. Would that be too strong? Any suggestions?