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Solicitor fees

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BRedhead59 Tue 19-Apr-16 17:24:54

My Mum passed away last November. Probate is complete and we now need our solicitor to transfer her house and other land to our names. The fee for this will be nearly £200 per hour. The letters we have received are dominated by the fee and costs and say so little about the actual task we had had to ring to clarify. I accept they are trained professionals with skills but so are teachers and junior doctors to name but two. How would it be if when a solicitor went to the next parents evening to discuss their child's progress the teacher said the fee for this will be £200. I am so angry about professional arrogance.What makes them better than everybody else.

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Ana Tue 19-Apr-16 17:34:22

Solicitors aren't public sector employees like teachers and doctors/nurses, and we do indirectly pay their salaries via our taxes.

Solicitors are in the business of making money for their services, and are duty-bound to provide you with a complete and comprehensive list of their charges for the service they will be providing for you.

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rosesarered Tue 19-Apr-16 20:16:23

They all charge a lot, but if you shop around may find differences. They should be clear to you though, not only on the price, but on what work they will be carrying out for you.Did you agree the price for legal work beforehand?

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iaincam Fri 22-Apr-16 10:59:48

As a solicitor we offer fixed fees for matters such as simple Will, powers of attorney, deeds of variation etc. where we know roughly what is involved and an hourly rate for work where it is difficult to estimate. As Ana says we have to quote our hourly rate even if working on a fixed fee. The courts publish guideline hourly rates for different bands of solicitors based on how many years they have been practising and which town they work in.

I am in the most qualified category and have numerous post graduate qualifications but work in a South Wales market town. The rate agreed is £210ph , but I generally charge £175 unless the work is very complex. You need to remember that solicitors pay 15-25% of turnover in professional insurance premiums, before they have to pay for premises and support staff.

The comparison with junior doctors and teachers is, as Ana points out, ridiculous. Doctors don't have to pay their nurses, hospital cleaners, porters etc. etc. and we don't have a National Legal Service in the UK (nor does anyone else as far as I am aware).

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