Lawyers fees

Peco141

Can anyone tell me if £435 is a reasonable amount to be charged by a lawyer for putting in place Power of attorney and revising a Will?

The lawyer had to the hospital first to meet my mum and see what she requires and a second visit to sign papers.

This lawyer charged a friend (our referrer) £40 to put s Will in place and that is along with them being local is the reason we plotted for this particular solicitor.

However the bill is more than double the price I expected it it to be as my mums financial situation is not complicated.

Is that price normal for just a revised will and to set up POA in Scotland or have we been over charged!??

lika_86

Sounds alright to me, especially given that it includes two 'home' visits. Did you ask for a quote first? Also, does it include any fees for registering the POA?

£40 sounds like your friend was given a template will with little/no legal work or advice.

harrys_dad

Does the will set up the lawyer as executor? if so you will find that they charge a percentage of the estate value to do that work eventually too.

newatc

Given general solicitor charges (the one I recently used said her normal charges were £250 per hour), I would think the charges are, in solicitor terms, reasonable.

Peco141

Ok thanks to all.

Peco141

harrys_dad wrote: »

Does the will set up the lawyer as executor? if so you will find that they charge a percentage of the estate value to do that work eventually too.

I'm not sure about this. Would I not have been made executor as her son? Or is it easier for the solicitor to carry out that task, if so will there be more lawyers fees to pay?

I'm scared to phone them and ask as I think they charge you for every contact you make.

GrumpyDil

They should have discussed who was to be executor with your mum as that is her decision. Probably a good way forward would be to ask who if she would kind telling you who the executor(s) of her will are.

Oh and as others have said the fees don't sound bad for visits.

TBagpuss

Ask your mum who she named as the executor. They will have put whoever she told them to.

Not all solicitors charge a % of the estate when doing probate, and those who do, don't necessarily charge it on every estate - it tends to depend on the value and/or complexity of the estate.

These are your mum's choices, not yours, so in the first instance, talk to her. I would expect the solicitors to have sent your mum either the original will, or a copy of it (depending, again, on whether she asked them to store it) it's useful for your to know which, so you can find the original when the time comes, but if your mum if happy for you to do so, she can let you look at the will and see who is named as executor.