I **** you not, and I can think of no better name for a law firm, from the contesting wills section of Wright Hassal - costs. 1. if following an initial letter, it is accepted that the will is invalid, the likely legal costs will be in the region of £500 to £1,500 plus VAT. 2. an initial letter does not settle the dispute; the parties should then engage in mediation or some other form of without prejudice conversations. The cost of progressing to this stage is often in the region of £7,500 to £10,000 plus VAT. 3. if a mediation or without prejudice conversation is not successful, the next step would be court proceedings. The costs of the claim would escalate to a sum in the region of £15,000 to £20,000 plus VAT. 4. If the matter proceeds to a final trial, costs can increase to amounts over £100,000. On no win - no fee. Please be aware while such agreements cover your own costs, they do not include the opponent’s costs, if you lose the claim That is just one law firms free internet advice. I am sure there are hundreds more. I am a tad confused as to why you thought a football forum, whose most hotly contested dispute revolves around curry sauce with fish and chips, would assist you in such a complex matter?
Always use Sandersons for conveyancing and football related court appearances. Got a free Will done via my union which is held with Bridge McFarland.
Wow, thats useful and depressing information, thanks. Not 606 is the number 1 site for recommendations and advice. I wouldn't advise for conflict resolution.
My / wifes will was done though Bridge McFarland -[ wifes union at the time] very impressed with them
I was going to pull that gag, but then remembered i was seeing you next week ... Anyway all me & @dennisboothstash need to do is read our copies of 'Fear & Loathing' to fully understand the 'law' & become your very own Dr. Gonzo's -Attorneys in Law ...
That's a very strange charging method. I've heard of every 6 minutes and every 12 minutes because they easily arrive at an hourly rate.
I work from home and it means my costs are a lot less and I don't have to go crazy covering my overheads.
Probably was 12 minutes and my brain remembered 12 and a 1/2, as you note, makes more sense for billing...
slightly OT, but here's a true story re: wills. My late uncle's will was written by his care worker! We had to get the police in to investigate her. The cheeky mare nearly got away with it, but the cops said there was no evidence to charge her with an offence. We also discovered he had paid for her airline tickets to visit relatives in a very faraway country.
I read an article yesterday suggesting because of their reduced output during lockdown, solicitors can be very choosy as to which cases they take on (and price it accordingly). Hence the seeming lack of interest in our relatively small estate.
I got threatened by a solicitor that he'd get another solicitor to chase the bill I'd queried. Luckily I'd kept a better record of their 'work' than they had, and he backed down when I showed he couldn't justify his bill. I even managed to successfully add in the bill for my time for meetings they arranged and never showed up for. I argued my time was of an equal value to theirs. Having seen a few people's dealing with solicitors, it's interesting to see how often the exchange seems to drag out in proportion to the money available.
If it's a small estate then seriously,it's best left.I more than likely had a certain win case 3 years ago but after enquiring about fees(£20k or thereabouts),I left it!! If you lose there's a distinct possibility you'll be ordered to pay the other sides costs too. I like a gamble but not on that scale.
I was chasing a solicitor for an elderly relative, in a divorce case. They were taking ages and loads of money for feckall work (taking the piss basically). The guy on the case was never in the office (always on the golf course). When I asked for the number of the ombudsman they suddenly took an interest. Bunch of fecking criminals in suits they are.
I had a solicitor in London who handled the sale of my flat, when I completed on the sale, I had to leave £500 on deposit to cover a potential outstanding bill. Two years later, the money had not been required, so I asked for it back. The solicitor said I'd had it already, obviously I hadn't and repeated messages to him were ignored, so I copied my final email to all his partners, requesting details of the ombudsman I should be reporting him to. I got the £500 within an hour of sending the message.
It's worth remembering that despite all the fear they tend to produce on the risks, they are your staff. You're only paying them for advice. They have a tendency to follow predictable tram lines that the other solicitor is also following, so they know where it's heading even at the start. And they get the office staff to do most of it apart from meet you. You can often do okay if not better by doing the basic research on the law yourself and going with what common sense suggests and taking your own action.
