ITC Probate/Chorus Law/The Bereavemnt Advice Centre - All Rogues Together

portlandboy

Readers of this thread may be interested in the following:

Re: Chorus Law, ITC Legal Services, GPB Solicitors and Mr Daniel Clarke.

Anyone who currently has an active case with either ITC or Chorus Law will probably get some sort of contact from the companies soon regarding an issue with GPB Solicitors. However, Chorus & ITC may well see fit to keep the following info under wraps, so I think it is only right to let you all know the situation.

As ITC & Chorus Law are NOT solicitors and have no ability to conduct legal work, they employ a firm of solicitors by the name of Geoffrey Parker Bourne (GPB). From a customer point of view, there are many problems with this set up, one being that if GPB get something wrong, only THEIR customer (which is Chorus or ITC) have any right to raise a complaint. Chorus Law & ITC work very closely with GPB and, as you might imagine, they are birds of a feather so they stick together.

On 9 October, GPB was shut down by the Solicitors Regulation Authority following their finding that an employee was acting dishonestly. Clearly that could have serious repercussions to any case that GPB have worked on for ITC/Chorus Law and, in turn may have resulted in some discrepancies with current and past cases handled by ITC or Chorus Law. With this in mind, if your case was or is handled by him, I would suggest that you ask ITC/Chorus Law to hand your case to a solicitor of your choice to have the legal work verified.

Here is a link to the SRA closure ruling:
http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/solicitor-check/solicitor-check/560888.page

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi

The company has asked for a right of reply. MSE doesn't endorse anything a company says on our forum.

Press Statement


No risk to ITC Probate clients from GPB Solicitors LLP closure.

Probate company ITC and full-service Probate specialist Chorus Law has stressed that the closure of GPB Solicitors LLP will have no serious impact on any client and there is no risk to client funds, documents or other assets.

ITC and Chorus Law can also confirm that the GPB employee under investigation by the SRA has never been involved in any ITC or Chorus Law case. No client funds, documents or any other assets are at risk and there are no implications for current or previous cases.

GPB Solicitors LLP was one of several legal firms used as a support service by ITC and Chorus Law, primarily to deal with reserved legal matters around probate and property transactions.

GPB Solicitors LLP, based in Stratford on Avon, was closed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority on 9 October 2013, as they had reason to suspect dishonesty on the part of an employee of the firm.

The SRA has a well-established procedure and has appointed Gordons LLP, to act as the intervening agent and manage the smooth transition of affairs.

ITC and Chorua Law are both in discussion with the agent regarding any outstanding cases and anticipate minimal disruption with no risk to any client funds, documents or any other assets.

angrygirlie

Well that is one of the quickest responses from ITC/Chorus Law i have ever seen... Probably because they want to protect what non existent reputation they think they have...it's a shame that ITC/Chorus Law could not respond so promptly to their dissatisfied customers who are grieving, vunerable and need answers to what is going on with their cases...

MothballsWallet

angrygirlie wrote: »

Well that is one of the quickest responses from ITC/Chorus Law i have ever seen... Probably because they want to protect what non existent reputation they think they have...it's a shame that ITC/Chorus Law could not respond so promptly to their dissatisfied customers who are grieving, vunerable and need answers to what is going on with their cases...

That's not even a response - it's a canned press release.

Dddfff

Just a thank you.
Wife and I had "simplify" coming in the morning.
A "free advice service" from Barclays after closing her mums account after she passed away at the weekend.

After a quick google and a read here I cancelled the visit.

Good job all,

ceaserandnewton

I'm currently experiencing significant issue with Chorus Law, i suspect they are linked somehow to a Company called The Will Writing Company.

I have done some research and established a number of Ex employees now work for Chorus Law. Can anyone else who has had issue recall any connection between the companies.

Many Thanks in advance for reply.

portlandboy

Mmm, slick, glossy website with a whole lot of links to other organisations. Seems a very similar approach to business and obviously another unregulated area of 'legal' work. None of the addresses ring a bell, but I'll copy and paste it to our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/104268162937758/) and see what we come up with...

Miss_mummy

I am in the process of having my my mums estate dealt with by chorus law and cannot believe I did not research them beforehand. I wish I had. Does anyone know how easy it is to cancel the contract I signed? I've read their terms and it says I will have to fork out for any work done by them after the 1st 7 days up til the date I cancel! I'm guessing they will hike their prices up for each email And letter sent? Can I just walk away? They seem to have mislaid my documents eg birth certificates etc already, I rang to ask them what exactly I was paying them for as everything seems to be an added on third party charge, and all they seem to do is collate documents and delegate work out which I could have done myself! They said at first meeting with simplify guy that conveyancing charges were included and now it seems they charge out to third party solicitors DC law who are in fact their own in house solicitors, crafty or what!? Am so annoyed with my self but with 3 children under 5 including an 8 week old baby they caught me at a vulnerable time , hope somebody can help????

portlandboy

Sorry that you didn't see this before you got snared by Chorus Law. Seems that their new and updated working practices, along with their state of the art specially developed computer software has made little difference to their working practices since I first dealt with their other company, ITC Legal Services.
You can pull out of the contract, but Chorus Law can and will bill you for work to date. You don't mention how long the case has been with Chorus but, if their past work is anything to go on, it will not be sorted in much less than 18 months to 2 years.
If you have only been with them for a few months, I would suggest you pay up and get out. Be sure to get a fully detailed bill for their work to date and question EVERYTHING they bill for. Then take your case to a solicitor who is local to you for completion, or complete it yourself if you feel able to do so.
DC Solicitors are a company that the Solicitors Regulation Authority recently chose to complete Chorus Law cases. This came about after the directors and some staff at Chorus Law's chosen company, GPB Solicitors, were shut down after being found to be employing "dishonest" working practices!
If you feel that you would like help with your problems you would be welcome to join (if you haven't already done so) our Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/104268162937758/
where there are others who have been through the same as you are now and can offer some advice.

novamation

My Mum died a couple of weeks ago, I phoned up Barclays/simplify to freeze her accounts and got talked into a visit from these people. I knew something was up, and knew I'd best look them up before the date, I'm so glad I did. Thank you, to everyone who's posted about this.

I'll phone up and cancel tomorrow, I hope I'm not going to get charged for this already am I?