Recommendations for fixed fee or deferred payment contentious probate solicitor 21 June 2022 at 2:19PM in Deaths, funerals & probate 5 replies 321 views

sweetcaroline48

Dear All
My name is Caroline and I have a very complicated probate matter.

My mother passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. One day after my father's death, my sister took  my mother to live with her as controlled and coerced her. My sister stopped me from talking to and seeing my dying mother at three long intervals because I raised concerns with the officer of the public guardian, social services, police and court of protection about fraud and misuse of my parents' money. 

My sister

X spent around £ 50,000 of my mother's money to take me to court 3 times since my father was buried in March 21 to exhaust me financially

X Used non- molestation orders against me to stop me from seeing my dying mother, who lived with her

X gave away my mother's chattels before she passed away and asked my mother for gifts, when she lacked capacity to do so

X Broke 2 court orders for my mother to have a mental capacity assessment (which I had requested)

X coerced my mother to become a joint account holder on four of her accounts and has siphoned off money
x my sister has ignore my request as an executor to provide the last 5 bank statements for the probate accounts

X coerced my mother to become an LPA for finance and health

X used her influence as a former political adviser to close any protection issues with social services in Richmond
x I believe she has forged my mother's signature on deeds of trust
x My brother (who has been in prison before) threatens me because he is desperate for the estate to be distributed. I have blocked his calls and reported him to the police.
I believe he is receiving money from my sister and from the estate without permission

Advice and recommendations needed
1) Can anyone recommend an excellent and reasonable contentious probate solicitor? 
(They will ideally be transparent in their fee structures or may offer fixed fees or a deferred payment option with a low percentage rise. They could be a junior solicitor working under supervision) 

2) Can anyone recommend a forgery expert?

3) Can anyone recommend a company who can conduct a full financial analysis?

4) Can anyone recommend how I can get the police to investigate fraud? 

Any advice or guidelines will be gladly received. 
Thanks 
Caroline 

Keep_pedalling

I am afraid it is against forum rules to make such recommendations and even if is wasn’t I would not trust a recommendation from strangers on the internet. 

Who is administering your father’s estate and did he have a will?

Marcon

sweetcaroline48 said:

Dear All
My name is Caroline and I have a very complicated probate matter.

My mother passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. One day after my father's death, my sister took  my mother to live with her as controlled and coerced her. My sister stopped me from talking to and seeing my dying mother at three long intervals because I raised concerns with the officer of the public guardian, social services, police and court of protection about fraud and misuse of my parents' money. 

My sister

X spent around £ 50,000 of my mother's money to take me to court 3 times since my father was buried in March 21 to exhaust me financially

X Used non- molestation orders against me to stop me from seeing my dying mother, who lived with her

X gave away my mother's chattels before she passed away and asked my mother for gifts, when she lacked capacity to do so

X Broke 2 court orders for my mother to have a mental capacity assessment (which I had requested)

X coerced my mother to become a joint account holder on four of her accounts and has siphoned off money
x my sister has ignore my request as an executor to provide the last 5 bank statements for the probate accounts

X coerced my mother to become an LPA for finance and health

X used her influence as a former political adviser to close any protection issues with social services in Richmond
x I believe she has forged my mother's signature on deeds of trust
x My brother (who has been in prison before) threatens me because he is desperate for the estate to be distributed. I have blocked his calls and reported him to the police.
I believe he is receiving money from my sister and from the estate without permission

Advice and recommendations needed
1) Can anyone recommend an excellent and reasonable contentious probate solicitor? 
(They will ideally be transparent in their fee structures or may offer fixed fees or a deferred payment option with a low percentage rise. They could be a junior solicitor working under supervision) 

2) Can anyone recommend a forgery expert?

3) Can anyone recommend a company who can conduct a full financial analysis?

4) Can anyone recommend how I can get the police to investigate fraud? 

Any advice or guidelines will be gladly received. 
Thanks 
Caroline 

A good solicitor will be able to deal with points 2, 3 and 4, but as I understand it actual recommendations aren't permitted on this board. Perhaps starting with https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk and ringing round some solicitors who specialise in this area is a reasonable way to proceed? A fixed fee is highly unlikely given that it will be impossible to assess how much work will be required, but the engagement letter will set out the hours rates and other charges.

One of the things you'll be asked early on is how much actual proof/evidence you have of the things you say 'you believe'. Thinking that something is happening, or not happening, is a world away from being able to prove it. It's not clear from your post what timeframes are involved, who the executors are, and various other issues, so making a clear note of those will help your solicitor to pick up the threads of the case (and keep down your costs). A simple chronology and a list of the parties involved will help enormously.

sweetcaroline48

Keep_pedalling said:

I am afraid it is against forum rules to make such recommendations and even if is wasn’t I would not trust a recommendation from strangers on the internet. 

Who is administering your father’s estate and did he have a will?

Oh I should have read them more closely. We have a very good independent solicitor obtaining the grant of probate for the 4 of us. My parents had a will and this is not in dispute but i need to ensure that it is administered fairly. 

msb1234

your parents would have had a will each. Was your fathers wills settled before your mum died? Also, what was the response you got from the agencies you mentioned?

sweetcaroline48

My Dad's will was not settled before my mother died.

They were extremely slow and only investigate my sister for one week until my mother passed away. They did not take into account crucial evidence which I had because they had already completed their investigation. 
The COP issued me lots of orders but had no jurisdiction to take it to court, as mum passed away.