How To Review Solicitor Charges For A Power Of Attorney?

[Davypops]

My mother had 2 Long Lasting Power of Attorney's drawn up, one financial, one health. They are both nearly identical forms with about 5 boxes to fill in. Not knowing what it might cost she agreed to £300.
Then she decided to add, as security, an identical set of forms for my sister but the solicitor charged another £300.
I since found out this can be done for free on downloaded forms (paying just the registration fee).
The solicitor never informed her that you could do this. Is this unethical? Or did they just do what was requested? Yes, she agreed, but only in ignorance.
Less than hours from-filling I estimate. Is £600 excessive does anyone think?
She has used this firm before - she didn't just walk in off the street. I questioned them for overcharging but no replies to my emails.
Is there a review process? Thank you.

[sddsddean]

I suppose a solicitor can charge what they like as long as they tell you up front. I did my Mums and Mother in Laws on line. Mums cost £103, but my MIL was free as she was on housing benefit...a useful thing to know (any sort of 'social' benefit allows you to have it for free).

[woofgang]

I guess its like any other commercial venture. If I go into a car showroom to buy a car, they aren’t going to say to me “Go round the corner to Joe’s its cheaper"

[EDDIE51]

Have to agree with woofgang, if someone goes into a solicitors and asks them to perform a service, they are hardly going to tell them they can do it themselves for free.
It is the same for a will or a divorce, you can do that yourself, but if you ask a solicitor to do it they just do what you ask and charge you.

[Hymie]

I would say that the charges made by the solicitor are around the going rate for this service.

Anyone deciding to appoint a solicitor as executor of their estate could be looking at paying many thousands of pounds (from their estate) for something one of their Will’s beneficiaries (or someone else) could do for free.

[Davypops]

Well, thank you all for your advice. Seems I'm stuck with the charges but I'll let them know they charged £600 for what could have been free and won't get any more business from us.

[bednobs]

I personally think this sounds reasonable a long as it includes registering them as well with the court of protection. Don't forget you need to get someone to be the verifier that you are sound enough to make the decision and you need to get that whether you download them yourself or not and you would probably have to pay someone to do that bit at least. even GPS charge for services like that nowadays. The solicitor would have had to have had a consultation with her, fine the associated paperwork on the forms etc. For something as important as this I think it sounds ok.Don't forget the registration charge probably sounds for about half that cost anyway

[dzug2]

A solicitor will at least get it right - you would hope anyway

DIY has the disadvantage that you could get it wrong and land up with an invalid document



Not sure I understand that - it surely invalidates the original forms

[dzug2]

.Then she decided to add, as security, an identical set of forms for my sister .


sorry left that out of last reply

[tamborine]

If the POA was challenged in Court, it would hold more clout when signed by a solicitor.

[woofgang]

tambo are you sure about that?

[Davypops]

Thanks all, just to answer Bednobs - the £600 did not include the registration fee, that was another £220 payable to HM Gov.
As regards the witness needed to sign each doc, you can have anyone that just knows the person, so no extra expence there.
My gripe, I suppose, is that £300 should not have been doubled for an identical photocopied second set of forms (save for a change of name on the first page). I will look to try to challenge it with a regulation authority I think, (citing that they won't reply to my emails too).

[david small]

My foolish in laws somehow agreed to a robber solicitor to a percentage of the estate of my father in law. She charged £27,000 and was rubbish.
I had no say in the matter, but it made me sick to the stomach.

[woofgang]

Davy, I suspect they will cite client confidentiality as the reason they won’t talk to you unless your mother has given you permission and told them.

[EDDIE51]

All goes to prove what I have thought for years, the two biggest 'legal robbers' on the planet are solicitors and funeral directors. Both take advantage of people when they are too worried/frightened to do things themselves or look for the cheapest option.

[woofgang]

some do Eddie, many don’t. As usual its the bad apples who get the publicity

[ladyalex]

We recently had business with a solicitor and the hourly rate was £300.
Presumably that is for an hour or part of an hour.

Have you tried writing, not emailing, the senior partner?
You would expect to get some sort of reply to this even if it is only "we cannot deal with you because of client confidentiality".
In the absence of any reply or any sensible reply, can you not go to the Law Society to ask if the fees are reasonable?