Free Wills rip off?

ObiOneTwo

My father-in-law passed away recently and left a will which was drawn up under the Free Will scheme through Age UK. 

He was receiving help and advice from Age UK and they suggested he complete a will. Good advice. 

Age UK put him in contact with a mainstream UK solicitor's rather than a local solicitor and the will was completed. 

My concern stems from the fact that the solicitor has themselves as the only executor which gives me serious misgivings about this entire process. 

His estate is I believe a simple one. His current account; 50% owns his house with housing agency; one pension and the classic over 50’s life insurance 🙈 policy. He has a funeral plan and his only debt is one month care home fees. There is one beneficiary. My wife was in the process of selling his home to pay for his care home fees when he passed, so estate agents had been appointed ands TICS valuation had been completed. All in it is about £100k. 

The solicitors have given us a minimum service fee of £3000 plus VAT and an additional charge of £1500 plus VAT as the estate is below £250,000. We think that seems excessive. Maybe we are being naive 🤷🏻‍♂️

So finally to my point. My father-in-law was by necessity a frugal man. I am concerned that he has essentially- as I see it - been mis-sold a service here. There is no way he appoints the solicitors had he been made aware of how much they would take from his estate to finalise it. 

This really does feel like a scam. Poor people taking advantage of a “free” will, only to be ripped off later after they pass. 

I’m off to check my own will to see who the appointed executor’s are, and suggest others are mindful and fully aware when getting any will drawn ip by solicitors. 

Ayr_Rage

Whoever makes the will nominates the executors!

Your FIL must have agreed to them doing the job.

Bettie

We "bought the solicitor out" and did it ourselves.  They have to agree of course

sammyjammy

Bettie said:

We "bought the solicitor out" and did it ourselves.  They have to agree of course

As Bettie says get the solicitor to stand down as executor,  I think they have a professional responsibility to do so if asked.

sammyjammy

How to Stop a Solicitor or Bank being the Executor of a Will

this should help

FlorayG

There's absolutely no scam and nothing to do with the will being free or paid for. Your FIL made the solicitor executor, if he didn't ask what that would cost then that's down to him. He may have done it to save any of his family having to do the job and thought it worth the cost to remove any responsibility and hassle from you have you thought of that possibility?

ObiOneTwo

FlorayG said:

There's absolutely no scam and nothing to do with the will being free or paid for. Your FIL made the solicitor executor, if he didn't ask what that would cost then that's down to him. He may have done it to save any of his family having to do the job and thought it worth the cost to remove any responsibility and hassle from you have you thought of that possibility?

Yes I understand it was him who signed and agreed to the will, so we will abide by his wishes.  He was a simple man and I know he would have just gone along with what they put in front of him. Had he been made aware of the future costs, I’m fairly certain he would not have agreed to it. 

My point was this is something that is open to abuse. Like most things, there should be safeguards in place when people providing the service to vulnerable people are clearly benefiting considerably further down the line. This could be something as simple as having to put a second executor. 

zenshi

My dad has just redone his will and the exact same thing happened. I asked him why have solicitor as executives, his reply was they said it would be easier when he died but didn’t discuss fees at all and he didn’t ask, prob assumed it was free as he paid them for his willObiOneTwo said:

My point was this is something that is open to abuse. Like most things, there should be safeguards in place when people providing the service to vulnerable people are clearly benefiting considerably further down the line. This could be something as simple as having to put a second executor. 

ObiOneTwo

sammyjammy said:

Link removed.  
this should help

Thanks for this link.  We contacted the solicitor and asked for them to renounce. They offered 5 options and renouncing was one of them. So waiting for them to provide this service. Costing £300 so wife is happier with that and we will sort it ourselves. 

Cit6

Nothing is free. The solicitor will make a tidy sum being executor. I should know!!!!!