Help on opening an account with a large cheque

drew12a

To be honest. This probate has been an horrendous process since 2011 on my Mum. To summarise the Republic Of Ireland have the slowest probate system in Europe i've been told. The Irish solicitor has made a mistake which has delayed this process.

My mum took up the services of I think a big law firm. There have been 3 solicitors and a paralegal dealing with this since 2011 from that firm. First solicitor had to leave this case due to a broken leg, second solicitor who was consultant at the firm had been dealing with this for 3 and half years but retired this February, never spoke to third solicitor who passed this onto a paralegal.

I have a number of disputes regarding the disgraceful treatment of my mother, and a have kept all paperwork. Am still not sure if job has been actioned correctly even now.

However by luck I was in my local town-centre and just happened to bump into a random solicitor while shopping. They advised for my mum to sign back of check, get money in account and dispute afterwards. The said however don't sign any documentation especially anything with FULL AND FINAL PAYMENT.

drew12a

To clarify, my mum employed an English law firm who employed an Irish solicitor.

mgdavid

drew12a wrote: »

....... by luck I was in my local town-centre and just happened to bump into a random solicitor while shopping. They advised for my mum to sign back of check, get money in account and dispute afterwards. The said however don't sign any documentation especially anything with FULL AND FINAL PAYMENT.

this sounds highly improbable and suspicious. How do you know they are a solicitor?

xylophone

Could the Irish solicitor not return the cheque to the executor and ask him to pay the legacy by bank transfer to his client account?

Your mother could then agree her solicitor's fees, he could deduct these from the euro amount paid into his client account then arrange for the conversion of the balance into sterling and a bank transfer to your mother's UK account?

Ben8282

It is the idea of her being asked to sign the back of the cheque and send it back which disturbs me.


Signing the back of a cheque can mean different things in different countries.


I know for example that in the US all cheques have to be signed on the back before being paid in. Equally I am old enough to remember the days of uncrossed cheques and crossed cheques lacking the wording 'a/c payee only' in the UK which could be signed on the back by the payee and then paid into somebody else's account.


What exactly is the effect of signing the back of the cheque in accordance with Irish law and banking practice?

robatwork

drew12a wrote: »

Many thanks, for everybody's advice. Apparently my mothers paralegal has received the cheque for the inheritance. The paralegal is going to send my mum the cheque for her to sign the back of it and wants my mum to return the cheque back to the said paralegal. The paralegal says they will then take out all expenses and will send remainder of the cheque to my mum via bank transfer.

This sounds at best unwieldy and at worst suspicious.

I like the suggestion of visiting Ireland to do this in person if this really is the only option.

I would keep the inheritance payment completely separate from the solicitor's fees. Just ask the sols to invoice your mother as another transaction altogether.

pinkdalek

I experienced problems also depositing a large cheque with my bank.
It was one of those cheques we had after raising money for charity, the bank did not have an envelope large enough for it to fit into, nor did the automated machine accept them, sadly the counter had glass screens and it would not fit in the deposit tray.........