Solicitors Fees For Dealing With A Will

[mayennaise]

Any idea it would cost to hand over the 'executing' - if that's the right word - of a will. Named executor would feel happier if a solicitor handle it. The estate is worth approx £10k.

[Hypognosis]

I've not read this myself but it was high up the search results list

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/21/probate-avoid-rip-off-comparing

[Buenchico]

That's really a 'how long is a piece of string' question, as it's not only the value of the estate but the complexity of it that's important. (e.g. Are there any pension funds involved? Is the deceased person's tax situation up to date? Are there any stocks and shares involved).

Complex estates can cost large amounts to sort out. (My friend has property in two countries and bank accounts in four. Her Italian solicitor has agreed to handle her estate for a pre-set fee of €20,000!).

However it's likely that the estate involved will be very simple but I'd not be surprised if the solicitor's fees consumed 10% to 20% of it. Perhaps the executor can find a friend, who feels more confident in such matters, to guide him/her through what is usually no more than a simple bit of form-filling? (I've done it myself. It's a doddle!). It could save a great deal of money!

[Hypognosis]

I read that article, eventually. It is pretty horrific, isn't it?

Banks invented the £30 fee for the letter, telling you that you were £2.75 overdrawn (1990s prices) and the lawyers seem to have followed suit and raised the rate to £50 per letter.

Pity watching them work isn't permissable, as a spectator sport.

[-SharonA-]

When my Mum died, my brother and I decided to do it ourselves and we did with no trouble using the relevant forms mentioned in the first link.

[woofgang]

Is there only one executor? Are they a beneficiary? It really is easy to do for a simple estate, but another option is to do what I did. Most of my late husband’s estate was simple but there were a few twiddley bits so I got the solicitor who had written the will to do the bits that i didn’t feel I could cope with and I did the rest. It cost more than DIY but much less than his doing the whole job and it took the stress of me.

[Dogsbody2]

The reason why solicitors letters cost £50 each is because these nobal chaps charge an hourly rate of around £200, and it takes around 15 minutes to dictate the letter. Simples.

There's no mystery about this, and a solicitor will advise a price for the job based on a simple assessment of the scope in hours and the hourly rate. But it will be an estimate, not a quotation, and it will seriously dent the residual value of the estate.

[Peter Pedant]

it sounds as tho you are the beneficiary and the executor is showing executor-refusal

Lots as far as I am concerned - I think £2000 is a fair estimate

if the executor does not benefit under the will you may have difficulty motivating him - I am one of the many who did it themselves