Solicitors Fees For Selling A Property

[Jayne-123]

We are selling my mum's house who recently passed away. The solicitor handling the will, on top of their fees of £250 a hour are also charging a percentage of the final sale price, is this normal?

[ladybirder]

I have sold quite a few properties in my time but only ever paid my solicitor an agreed fee once the deals complete.

[ummmm]

I've only ever paid an agreed fee, too.

[catsrcool]

Not heard that before. When my Mum passed away the solicitors charged me £180 per hour and no percentage of the property. Suggest you go to another firm that is not going to rip you off.

[EDDIE51]

Yes, rip off! Change solicitors.

[Old_Geezer]

Are you sure that they aren't simply passing over the estate agents' fee ?

[EDDIE51]

Just reread, why are the solicitors selling the house?
Get rid of them and do it yourself. Or Just use a conveyancing service to sell it. £250 and hour AND a % is madness! They will charge you VAT on top of everything as well.
If the solicitors are just dealing with the will why are they expecting % of the house sale?
Looks to me as if the solicitors are just taking advantage of your Mum's death! by hoping you are going to be too upset to take notice of what they are doing!

[Barmaid]

It may not be so easy as to go elsewhere - if the solicitors are appointed as executors, they have the right to adminster the estate and charge fees. The "value element" is quite common - if a little anachronistic. (Google Jemma Trust Co v Liptrott - although bear in mind that was a huge estate).

If the solicitors are not the executors, the execs can remove the case from them and go elsewhere.

[Peter Pedant]

thx barmaid
makes a good point of the downside of appointing solicitors as executors....