Advice needed re solicitors fees for TOE

Truszka

Hi,
I bought a flat 5 years ago with my brother (50:50 ownership) as I could not afford to buy it on my own and for those 5 years I paid all the repayments.

Now I am in the financial position that I can remove my brother from the mortgage and from the ownership of the property and this was approved by my mortgage provider.

I am currently dealing with the transfer of equity and as there will not be a consideration paid for my brother's share of the property, he needs an independent legal advice, for which we have found local solicitor who quoted us that he charges Ł60 and no VAT for an advice.

When my brother went to meet him, he said that the transfer of equity form (TR1) did not include a clause on the mortgage, confirming that my brothre will be released from the mortgage and he wrote a letter to my solicitor asking to clarify the matter.
On that day my brother paid him Ł50 in cash.

Since then he wrote few letters to my soliciotor, who replied and asked him to draft a clause for his approval, which will be inserted into the deed & send for sealing.

Last week he wrote to my brother saying that he estimates that the amount required to cover the work involved will be Ł350 + VAT = Ł420.

My brother informed him that this fee is too high and that we will have to find a new solicitior, but now he refuses to release our file unless we pay another Ł130 for the letters he wrote to my brother and my solicitor.
He also does not take into account Ł50 paid to him by my brother when they met.

I think this fee is very high and now we are not sure what to do.
Or is this fee reasonable?

What are our options: do we have to pay another Ł130?
What if we don't? We might not need that file anymore.
Also, what can he do if we don't pay it?

We are happy to pay for work carried out, but we think he should account Ł50 received.
Please kindly advise,
Thank you,