extortionate solicitors fees?

[scottay2hottay]

I am the sole beneficiary to my late fathers £19,000 estate. My father died last year and I hadn't seen him for 18 years despite searching for him for most of that time.
I have just been given the solicitors (who are also the executors) bill for administrating the estate.They charged £7,390.69 for their administration charges!
My fathers funeral cost £4000 and the DWP had £2,500 for an over payment ( for a 10 year period). There was no house involved.
In the end I was left with £4,724.26 from a £19,000 estate. Plus I just had to sign to say that I was happy with the solicitors services before they would send me my check which I still haven't received yet.
I can only wonder if my Dad was aware of the potential costs before he allowed these solicitors to become executors. I only ask this because I just cant imagine my Dad agreeing to let them handle the estate if he was told of the likely costs.
I have already made two complaints to the SRA and ombudsmen about this solicitor in the past because I believe that they have failed to preserve the estate.
They employed an auction company to "store" all of my dads belongings but later, sold all of his belongings by accident, the solicitor informed me that they would be charging for investigating their own mistake.
They have also made a lot more mistakes, too many to mention in fact. I also believe that they have lied to me on several occasions. I am so frustrated, can anyone offer me some advice.
Thanks for reading

[bluebottle]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Having now seen the documents you have posted, I feel it would be better if one or more of our more learned members took a look at them.

:bump:

[enquirer]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Ask for a break down of the 'administration fees'. They charge by the hour, and by the person (partner, legal executive and so on), so they should be able to tell you in great detail.

I would be inclined to remove the name of the council and the hospital from the posted documents.

[MissFM]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

"the solicitor informed me that they would be charging for investigating their own mistake."

This doesn't sound right at all - the solicitor should investigate your complaint at no cost to you. As Enquirer says, they should be able to provide you with a full breakdown of the admin costs and these can be looked at by the SRA or the OS (both are very helpful on the 'phone) to see if they are reasonable. Depending on timing (again, both bodies below are very helpful as to correct procedure IME) you may have to do this through the Court. Some ways that charges are bumped up are by charging full partner's rates for work that can be done by juniors or by simply rounding up the hours etc., etc..

You need to put your complaint(s) in writing as per the solicitor's own complaints procedure if you haven't done so already making it clear that they must initiate their formal complaints procedure and investigate at no cost to you.


http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/con...l_Ombudsman_do

http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems.page

[scottay2hottay]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

"the solicitor informed me that they would be charging for investigating their own mistake."

This doesn't sound right at all - the solicitor should investigate your complaint at no cost to you. As Enquirer says, they should be able to provide you with a full breakdown of the admin costs and these can be looked at by the SRA or the OS (both are very helpful on the 'phone) to see if they are reasonable. Depending on timing (again, both bodies below are very helpful as to correct procedure IME) you may have to do this through the Court. Some ways that charges are bumped up are by charging full partner's rates for work that can be done by juniors or by simply rounding up the hours etc., etc..

You need to put your complaint(s) in writing as per the solicitor's own complaints procedure if you haven't done so already making it clear that they must initiate their formal complaints procedure and investigate at no cost to you.


http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/con...l_Ombudsman_do

http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems.page

I do apologise, the legal ombudsmen have already ordered the solicitor to reduce their charges in respect to investigating their own mistake. This has already been reflected in their final costs. I just meant to give you an example of one of the many mistakes this company has made. I dread to think what the costs would have been if they had gotten away with it.

[CleverClogs]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

The cheeky/greedy buggers should not charge at all for investigating their own clangers!

[scottay2hottay]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Ask for a break down of the 'administration fees'. They charge by the hour, and by the person (partner, legal executive and so on), so they should be able to tell you in great detail.

I would be inclined to remove the name of the council and the hospital from the posted documents.

They have already given me a "detailed narrative" of what work they did in their interim invoice, and they gave me a very basic breakdown of the charges as you can see in the attached documents. I do agree that they should be able to give me a thorough explanation of what work they carried out, especially considering the amount of money that they have taken from the estate. I feel as if I have been robbed.

[CleverClogs]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

I feel as if I have been robbed.

That alone is surely cause for a complaint, as it might reflect adversely on other shysters.

[MissFM]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Scottay I have every sympathy with your situation partly because this has also happened to me in the past.

People do believe it is best for their heirs to name a solicitor as executor and the legal profession do nothing to discourage this belief. IMHO it is demonstrably not true; if the beneficiaries need a solicitor then they can pick and choose themselves (9 times out of 10 they don't need one)

It sounds as if you have the best possible advice if you have the legal ombudsman involved.

As regards the charges, when a solicitor is executor they tend to charge a percentage of the Estate (the smaller the Estate, the higher the percentage) on top of their hourly charges. You should have been given all this in writing (and signed it) before they took on their duties.

The way their work is charged out is by the unit (a unit = 6 mins) so if they at a conservative estimate charge £100 per hour, you are paying a tenner for every 6 minutes of their time, rounded up. A senior partner in a big firm might be charged at £400+ per hour, whereas you might be charged as little as £60ph for an unqualified clerk in a small country firm. If you are charged top whack for simple work then that is something you can challenge.

I understand the fury you must feel but also warn that this can all get even more harrowing and expensive. Another thing you should do if you decide not to draw the line now is to list all your complaints clinically on a time line and see if they match up against any of the SRA criteria as to what constitutes unprofessional behaviour.

Good luck.

[scottay2hottay]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

You should have been given all this in writing (and signed it) before they took on their duties.

Thanks for the reply, the solicitor/executor was already involved 2 months before I was alerted of my fathers passing because they said that they couldn't find me and they had to use " a good deal of detective work " to find me. However, it turned out that the only detective work that they used was in the form of 192.com and I was the only person with my name living in my area. Plus I only live less than a mile away from where my father and I used to live.
I have never signed for anything except for the declaration which is in the attachments.

[CleverClogs]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Thanks for the reply, the solicitor/executor was already involved 2 months before I was alerted of my fathers passing because they said that they couldn't find me and they had to use " a good deal of detective work " to find me. However, it turned out that the only detective work that they used was in the form of 192.com and I was the only person with my name living in my area. Plus I only live less than a mile away from where my father and I used to live.

Just as well, then, that your father had not died in Nigeria. :rofl:

[MissFM]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Scottay - this is all extremely unsatisfactory isn't it? I believe you have been wronged but you do need to be able to prove it.

I'm out of my depth but would, in your situation, press both the SRA and the Legal Ombudsman for advice as to how to proceed, having marshalled your complaints as described above. If I were you I certainly would not engage another solicitor without their express advice and recommendation.

Meanwhile, pursue the detailed bill (at no cost to yourself).

I'm really hoping someone will pop up on here with more effective advice!

FM

[scottay2hottay]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Scottay - this is all extremely unsatisfactory isn't it? I believe you have been wronged but you do need to be able to prove it.

I'm out of my depth but would, in your situation, press both the SRA and the Legal Ombudsman for advice as to how to proceed, having marshalled your complaints as described above. If I were you I certainly would not engage another solicitor without their express advice and recommendation.

Meanwhile, pursue the detailed bill (at no cost to yourself).

I'm really hoping someone will pop up on here with more effective advice!

FM

Thank you,I have taken your advice on board. I think that It's disgusting that the law allows solicitors to be criminals. My dad might as well had given them a blank check.

[MissFM]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

:flame:Absolutely! I have also spent many angry, sleepless nights - but it certainly won't happen again and if I can think of a way to help you I will!

[scottay2hottay]

Re: extortionate solicitors fees?

Thanks, what a pleasant forum!