Wills - Solicitor's Comment

[Arrods]

Given the other thread I thought I'd post this.

Too late to do owt now, but when OH and her siblings visited the solicitor to discuss getting probate, the first words from the solicitor were (knowing that one of the siblings had been favoured in the will) "Well, what did you three do to upset your Mum?"

And, despite items of jewellery being specifically mentioned in the will, the solicitor said there was no need to get them valued.

Unprofessional - or worse?

[bednobs]

Just human perhaps

[woofgang]

worse. is it too late to complain?

[Barmaid]

The comment was unprofessional and unnecessary.

Not having the jewellery valued really depends on the type of jewellery and whether it was likely to have an impact on the IHT position.

[Arrods]

Thanks all. I'm out of this now. I offered my help in doing what was a straightforward probate - but was told in no uncertain terms by one of the siblings not to stick my nose in as they wanted it to be done 'properly'. I'd said by all means involve the solicitor in some of the work but was it really necessary to get the solicitor to do the basic stuff? Ended up costing them nearly £6,000.

Reason I thought that a valuation was necessary as one item had come from an unknown source and, as Barmaid suggests, could have had IHT implications.

[Peter Pedant]

sounz like the estate was way under £322 000.

Bereavement is a special time - and of course it is not what you say but how you say it ....

not having a solicitor as exec is a matter of how-much-they-charge rather than to avoid smart *** one liners - plenty of them on AB for a start

[Peter Pedant]

I have to say...
I photographed digitally every room from several angles

and then during one family quarrel oops I mean conference to find a way forward (sell everything even at an obvious loss which cd be otherwise mitigated) - I drew up an inventory

and during round 2 [ding! ding!] oops I mean a second family discussion, amid all the predictable yappitty- yap of "I'm not going to do this!" or 'I'm not going to do THAT!' - I valued the objects. (inc the value of the coal in the coalhole]

[Arrods]

PP - it was near enough to £325k for the solicitor to have advised them properly.

And the sibling 'bereaved' - don't make me laugh!

[Peter Pedant]

altho the fee is due to hours worked
6K fee off an estate of 325k is 2% and doesnt strike me as too bad

and yes it is unfortunately observed too often ( inc my own fambly) that when one is told that their dear mother is dead - their first question is "how much?"

or more exactly in my own dear close knit caring empathic family, "I know how much and I want it NOW!"