Update on inheritance:

Oh yes can vouch for rip off solicitors! We were quoted 350 for writing to our estranged daughter and dealing with reply and an hour with legal assistant not eve qualified solicitor final bill over 800! Oh they sat on daughters reply for a month! Disgraceful.

I can empathise Flower it took a year for the Solicitor to wind up my mother's estate and as she died intestate I had to pay for a second Solicitor to witness the probate forms.
celebgran I too was angry at the cost of a letter written by the Solicitor.

When I got divorced I went to my solicitor when I got the final bill with a list of all the things they'd charged me for that were due to their mistakes. We itemised the whole thing and they reduced the bill by quite a lot.

The Solicitors bill should be itemised, if you feel you have been overcharged contact the senior partner of the firm, if you are still unhappy ask that the bill be "taxed" or "costed", that is looked at by an independent person.

You should ask for an estimate first.
When my Mum died I did the winding up myself as I was an executor. It was quite straightforward, as she left a clear Will and everyone knew what to expect.

Yes my late MIL used to work as a clerk for a solicitor and get paid peanuts. She did all the conveyancing work.

Oh yes first solicitor we used for our sad family situation sent us faulty bill had been charged 175 each for reading emails instead of 17 50 they were very ungracious about it also charged us full whack instead of initial consultation fee. I wonder if they just don't expect people to check bill!!

The problem is that our cousin was not close to us. The cousin on her mum's side was dealing with it through their solicitor. I'm not unhappy with the fees just think it quite a lot, another cousin has the breakdown of the fees, I may ask to see them. It was offered but I could see no point, after reading these posts though I may have a peek.

my late husband didnt leave a will and it was daunting with all the probate etc but i refused to line a solicitors pockets and did it all myself!!

people are under the impression that you need a solicitor when someone dies but thats not nessasarily so ...

Absolutely right dollie- and the twice I've done it, have found the government web pages very helpful and used the Which guides

My mother made her own will, witnessed correctly. But because of one little mistake the will was found to be invalid. This caused real problems. My solicitor drew up wills for myself and DH for £150 the pair, and as my son is named executor there will be no more charges after we're gone.

ive done my will ...paid for my funeral and also done a list of things my son needs to do after i die as i dont want him to go through the trauma i did...

My mother paid a solicitor and he made a mistake - I complained to the solicitors regulatory body and got a derisory £50 - but it did cover the cost of putting their mistake right- but not my time and inconvenience.

It always pays to read something carefully in the draft stage BB and check it carefully before signing. Incidentally for those of you making your own wills, my mother's mistake was to sign on the line at the bottom of the page.