YOU HAVE YOUR SAY TRAPPED IN PURGATORY
EVERY week, Money Mail receives hundreds of your letters and emails about our stories. Here are some of the best from our story covering a family’s six-year battle for their mother’s inheritance . . . SAFEGUARDS put in place to protect families are too often ignored by lawyers. Some charities write wills for 1.5 pc of the estate. Banks usually want at least £500 and solicitors can charge £250 an hour.
R. N., Leeds.
APPOINTING a bank or solicitor as executor is always a mistake. I would also never employ a solicitor to apply for probate. Anyone can make an application by themselves. It takes a bit of time, but it is certainly worth it for the money you save.
H. J., by email.
THE firm that dealt with my aunt’s will charged more than £7,000 and took almost two years to finish the job. It made numerous mistakes and tried to take an extra percentage on top of its fees. Disgraceful.
W. J., Wales.
BOTH myself and my husband have been executors for our mothers’ wills. I applied for probate for my mother, but my husband appointed a solicitor for my mother-in-law, as there was a house sale involved. We never had any problems.
H. P., Nottingham.
IF YOU’VE got a complaint about a solicitor, contact the firm. If this doesn’t work, write a letter of complaint to the Law Society. All solicitors have to follow the Solicitors Regulation Authority Code of Conduct.
B. D., Derbyshire.
WHEN you complain about something trivial, for example a bad meal, you often get a full refund. Solicitors seem to think they can charge for diabolical service on such an important task and never give refunds.
M. Y., Nottingham.
IT’S a disgrace that the system allows families to end up in these circumstances. Dealing with grief is stressful enough without unnecessary problems caused by a will.
S. Y., Glasgow.