Probate Research Fee query

Scotlover55

I wonder if anyone could help with regard to a Probate Research Query. I was approached and signed with a firm of heir hunters after the death of a distant relative. I was approached later on by another company but told them I had already signed with someone else. For some reason the company i didn't sign with ended up being the administrators of the estate as well as heir hunters for 2 of my closer relatives. This company has sent the settlement paperwork to my heir hunters but have deducted their probate research fee in respect of their own beneficiaries from the total value of the estate rather than from the value of the beneficiaries' shares of the estate. My heir hunters are disputing this, as am I, with the administrators of the estate. It cant be right that they can take it off the whole estate, thereby reducing the value of all other beneficiaries' shares and meaning i am paying the probate research twice (also with my own heir hunters)! I would be grateful of any advice on this matter. Many thanks

Yorkshireman99

It depends exactly what you agreed with them. Sometimes they may have shared the research with another company. Your only recourse is against the firm you signed up with.

Scotlover55

Thanks very much for your help. We have only signed up with our own Heir Hunting company and have made no agreement or signed up with the Administrators of the estate who also happen to be a heir hunting company. They did approach us at the very beginning but we told them we had already signed up with another company.

We are still in dispute with them, along with our heir hunting company, as they should only be deducting their 20% fee from their beneficiaries portion of the estate and not from the total value of the estate which is what they are trying to do. We agree with our heir hunting company who have stated that the Administrators of the estate are proposing to deduct their fee from the value of the whole estate balance (rather than from the value of their 3 beneficiaries entitlement) before it is distributed which would obviously have an impact on our shares and any other beneficiaries who have signed up with other companies.

I wondered if anyone would be able throw some light on this for us as it doesnt sound right that beneficiaries signed with them would only pay the fee once but in effect we would be paying them and then our own company, meaning we would pay the 20% fee twice.

They are proposing to make the following deductions from the value of the estate: Probate Research Fee of 20% on their 3 beneficiaries, costs for certificates, courier delivery, Grant of Probate/Will, Priority certificate, Estate Administration Fee, and VAT on their 20% fee.