Thanks for all the advice above, I send the attached letter today, I have a feeing it will make everything worse, but I'll go to the law society if she doesn't respond.
I am writing to address the delay in transferring my inheritance, which you have retained for nearly a year. The prolonged withholding of these funds has caused me significant distress, particularly when I requested money for a house deposit, after settlement terms we agreed & signed, only to find that my request needed approval and you had to be contacted on holiday. This was never a requirement for the other party during the divorce process, despite me bringing up this issue on multiple occasions. I now need funds to cover the mortgage on the rental property until the sale goes through.
Additionally, I am viewing houses, and need funds available in my own bank account, should I wish to secure a house with a deposit. I should not have to ask for permission to access this money each time I am in this position. It is entirely up to me how I spend these funds.
When we first discussed your fees in March 2023, you quoted an amount between €10,000 and €15,000. I was shocked when the final bill came to €23,000, far exceeding the estimate. I was not informed that the fees were escalating so dramatically, nor was I provided with a detailed breakdown of the final costs. In the terms of business that I signed, you state that:
"If we become aware of an issue that means that the legal costs in your case likely to be incurred will be significantly greater than what is disclosed or indicated in this notice, we will, as soon as may be after we become aware of that factor, provide you with a new notice"
Additionally, I was not given any specific fee allocation for the barrister’s services, which I had expected to be included in the original quote. Despite several requests, I still have not received clarification on the cost of the barrister’s fees.
The unexpected and substantial increase in your fees has put me in a difficult financial situation. As a result, will delay my ability to purchase a house as planned, and I will need to remain in the family home until I can recover from this unanticipated expense.
I kindly request that you transfer the remaining balance of my inheritance to my bank account within the next couple of working days.
I am writing to address the delay in transferring my inheritance, which you have retained for nearly a year. The prolonged withholding of these funds has caused me significant distress, particularly when I requested money for a house deposit, after settlement terms we agreed & signed, only to find that my request needed approval and you had to be contacted on holiday. This was never a requirement for the other party during the divorce process, despite me bringing up this issue on multiple occasions. I now need funds to cover the mortgage on the rental property until the sale goes through.
Additionally, I am viewing houses, and need funds available in my own bank account, should I wish to secure a house with a deposit. I should not have to ask for permission to access this money each time I am in this position. It is entirely up to me how I spend these funds.
When we first discussed your fees in March 2023, you quoted an amount between €10,000 and €15,000. I was shocked when the final bill came to €23,000, far exceeding the estimate. I was not informed that the fees were escalating so dramatically, nor was I provided with a detailed breakdown of the final costs. In the terms of business that I signed, you state that:
"If we become aware of an issue that means that the legal costs in your case likely to be incurred will be significantly greater than what is disclosed or indicated in this notice, we will, as soon as may be after we become aware of that factor, provide you with a new notice"
Additionally, I was not given any specific fee allocation for the barrister’s services, which I had expected to be included in the original quote. Despite several requests, I still have not received clarification on the cost of the barrister’s fees.
The unexpected and substantial increase in your fees has put me in a difficult financial situation. As a result, will delay my ability to purchase a house as planned, and I will need to remain in the family home until I can recover from this unanticipated expense.
I kindly request that you transfer the remaining balance of my inheritance to my bank account within the next couple of working days.
I've sent the toned down letter, leaving out the fees issue, so fingers crossed I'll have a update this week...
