Can Solicitor insist on approval of their bill before distributing the estate?

yorsiwel

Keep_pedalling said:

They can’t charge you for responding to a complaint, solicitors are regulated and they have to follow the complaints procedure laid down by them. If you don’t get a satisfactory response then you take it to the legal ombudsman which costs the complainant nothing.

I did not see this before I posted. Thanks. That confirms what I thought

Savvy_Sue

Isn't there a process where you can get a bill inspected, possibly by the SRA, but there's a technical term for it which I can't bring to mind atm. 

Whether you can do this as a beneficiary is less clear to me: you're not the client. but perhaps the executor would agree to do this?

TripleH

You should definitely challenge the time spent  on someone else reviewing the file.

It might be that it was reviewed by a senior solicitor before sign-off which I can understand, but passing workload on from 1 person to another at the same level is an issue for the firm and staff retention, not you.

How many dependents and how do you all get on? You could ask for an interim payment and then challenge the fees where there is enough money left still undistributed (although this will incur some extra fees).

Multiple people working on a file is normal as juniors do the donkey work for seniors to review, but you shouldn't be charged extra unless you can be shown to have a very complex case.

Keep_pedalling

Based on the OPs previous thread they have already waited 2 years for their inheritance and in their position I would not want to delay the inheritance any longer. The condition that they have to sign before it is released is IMO unreasonable and I would sign and still make a complaint once it had hit my bank account. Part of the complaint would be that you were forced into sighting by their unreasonable terms 

yorsiwel

Keep_pedalling said:

Based on the OPs previous thread they have already waited 2 years for their inheritance...

I'm impressed at your research! Yes, it's just over two years. I approved the accounts but noted that did not mean I was waiving my right to complain, if I wish to. They have paid up! Thanks for all the advice and responses. 

macman

Savvy_Sue said:

Isn't there a process where you can get a bill inspected, possibly by the SRA, but there's a technical term for it which I can't bring to mind atm. 

Whether you can do this as a beneficiary is less clear to me: you're not the client. but perhaps the executor would agree to do this?

The term is 'taxed'.