Panorama - Will Writers

M.E.

Yes the experience was interesting, to say the least.
I am not against a family member who is an Executor appointing a solicitor to do the work.
In this instance the family member is the client of the solicitor and can talk directly to the solicitor about the fees being charged.
If the solicitor IS the executor then the solicitor has the legal right to claim directly against the estate, with no say whatsoever from the family or beneficiaries. After all his original client is dead and can't have any say in how much it costs the estate to go to probate.

AGAIN: Don't appoint a solicitor as Executor in your own will.

Savvy_Sue

M.E. wrote: »

I am not against a family member who is an Executor appointing a solicitor to do the work.
In this instance the family member is the client of the solicitor and can talk directly to the solicitor about the fees being charged.
If the solicitor IS the executor then the solicitor has the legal right to claim directly against the estate, with no say whatsoever from the family or beneficiaries. After all his original client is dead and can't have any say in how much it costs the estate to go to probate.

I think that's the way to go too, appointing an intelligent executor or two who can then outsource the work if necessary.

dzug1

thistledome wrote: »

£180 per hour?? Is that a normal charge?

Anybody know if a similar hourly fee is charged in Scotland?

Fairly normal outside London

dzug1

sloughflint wrote: »

.....Or you have given them some other form of business.
Errata's suggestion is better IMO.

Well yes I'd agree - except it's the last place most people would consider looking. I suppose it would be revealed when they tried to get probate on an earlier will or applied for Letters of Administration

Biggles

dzug1 wrote: »

Well yes I'd agree - except it's the last place most people would consider looking.

I imagine that people who have done that would keep their certificate of deposit with their other important papers, so that it would be found by their next of kin.

Oldbiggles

dzug1 wrote: »

It was LAST Friday I think

Yes it was. I realised that as soon as I had pressed the 'submit reply' button.