Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

[Justine Time]

Despite my best efforts to persuade my nearest and dearest family members of the simplicity of probate and administrative processes for anybody literate with average intelligence nowadays, they have allowed themselves to be sold a form filling service at outrageous expense for administering the estate of a close relative. However close study of their contract shows that their price allows for huge escalation in costs for what are classed as extra services and disbursments, but which should form part of the normal administration process. The two companies mentioned are subject to very bad reviews on the internet and Chorus Law have confirmed for me that they do not employ solicitors and are not actually a law firm! I write simply to discover if any of your contributors and readers may wish to address my concerns regarding to their trustworthiness please.

[Amethyst]

Re: Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

Chorus Law don't put themselves out as solicitors. Are your family wanting to extract themselves from the contracts to deal with probate themselves ? If so you'd need copies of the contract they have agreed. How did they get put on to Chorus Law, was that via Barclays Bereavement Services ?

[Justine Time]

Re: Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

Barclays Bank were named as executors in the will and had Barclays Bereavement Services contact and arrange and appointment with my family members who are beneficiaries with a female representative of Chorus Law Ltd, whom we assumed was a solicitor. The fact is the bank itself stand to make a very good commission by passing the work to "Barclays Bereavement Services" without advising their customers that this is a third party company, who in the turn work in cahoots with their partner organisation Chorus Law Ltd, disingenously named to make most potential customers believe, although not actually claimed, the organisation is staffed by legally trained staff and solicitors and therefore explain their extraordinardinarily high fees. Since I had previously studied what was involved in obtaining probate and have conveyanced my own last 4 house purchase and sales, I was quick to question ( to the acute discomfort of my family ) a couple of deliberate lies told to them by the advisor in order to discourage them from undertaking the work themselves. When I studied the contract and charges which followed the meeting I was able to see how the small print allowed potential to add a further couple of thousand pounds to the quoted price and checked my facts with the Land and Probate Registry before calling Chorus posing as an intending customer and discovering that they employ no solicitors and very few staff with even the basic STEPS Diploma. When satisfied that my enquiries were correct and still unable to persuade my family members to confront the company and have the bank renounce as executors I managed at least to insist that the extra charges be included in the already generous price quoted and will keep a very close eye on matters as they proceed. But for the average elderly person without any knowledge of how simple the law can be, to obtain probate and transfer title to registered freehold property, it is scandelous that firms like this can be introduced by the bank that is entrusted to administer the wills of their customers without registering their financial interest and collude with these "partners in scam" to rob the estates of deceased account holders of up to 4% of their wealth before it is released to relatives.

I shall follow their progress very closely and if they put a foot out of line I shall be very quick to be demanding a reduction in charges accordingly.

[SevenOfNine]

Re: Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

When my Aunt died, my mother (as NoK) & I went to Barclays to freeze her a/c's. They were very sympathetic & arranged for someone from the 'Barclays Bereavement Service' to visit my Mother & 'advise' on the Probate process - no mention that this was not themselves.

I have not just clambered off the banana boat & insisted it was at my home, not my Mothers on her own. I noted all the procedures they offered, asked pertinent questions, then when he gave the estimate (hundreds of £££'s), I said you're premature, we have not got the death certificate yet & chucked him out. Thankfully Barclays not named Executors- no Will.

I went on-line, obtained the forms & did it myself. The tax form initially looked a bit daunting, but using the accompanying notes it was simple. It was ALL simple. No thanks to Barclays for their 'kind' customer service!

Solicitors and the like just 'big up' the task to justify extortionate costs for 30 minutes of form filling. Nowadays you don't even have to go to a Probate office to swear the oath, you can pay a solicitor a fiver & do it in their offices. DiY is the way to go.

[nemesis45]

Re: Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

When my Aunt died, my mother (as NoK) & I went to Barclays to freeze her a/c's. They were very sympathetic & arranged for someone from the 'Barclays Bereavement Service' to visit my Mother & 'advise' on the Probate process - no mention that this was not themselves.

I have not just clambered off the banana boat & insisted it was at my home, not my Mothers on her own. I noted all the procedures they offered, asked pertinent questions, then when he gave the estimate (hundreds of £££'s), I said you're premature, we have not got the death certificate yet & chucked him out. Thankfully Barclays not named Executors- no Will.

I went on-line, obtained the forms & did it myself. The tax form initially looked a bit daunting, but using the accompanying notes it was simple. It was ALL simple. No thanks to Barclays for their 'kind' customer service!

Solicitors and the like just 'big up' the task to justify extortionate costs for 30 minutes of form filling. Nowadays you don't even have to go to a Probate office to swear the oath, you can pay a solicitor a fiver & do it in their offices. DiY is the way to go.

Was the fact that the "recommended" advisor would be from a fee earning 3rd. Party and that Barclays acted solely as an " introducer"?

No doubt Barclays and their employee would be rewarded handsomely for each introduction.

nem

[Trey]

Re: Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

Thank you SevenOfNine! Just hope I'm not too late, I have signed up with CL, approximately 4weeks now and since reading so many bad reviews. I'm now thinking of cancelling the account (Don't know how much they are going to charge me for that) and follow your procedure.

I have thought about pursuing this after reading some info of this subject matter on Which?

Please if you have any further valuable information, before I pursue the DIY Probate route etc. Please kindly send me some advise.

Thank you!

[enaid]

Re: Barclays Bereavement Services / Chorus (Law?) Ltd / Wolves in sheeps clothing?

Hi and welcome,
You should have been given T&Cs when you signed up and in them you should find their cancellation procedure and costs.
If the estate is uncomplicated then then it is possible to do it yourself HERE is info from th GOV site on the process and all forms and instructions too.
The swearing on oath can be done at a local solicitors at little cost but check first.
Hope this helps Enaid x