Consumers Back Solicitors
07 January 2011
Consumers Back Solicitors
A survey commissioned by Sun Life Direct has revealed that 49% of those questioned used a solicitor to administer an estate. This is a significant 6% increase on the previous year.
The survey of 1,514 consumers also saw a drop of more than 50% in those using the services of a bank. Additionally, the survey also revealed a slight drop in the costs of estate administration.
‘This does not really surprise me,’ says Head of Wills Trusts and Probate at Thatcher & Hallam LLP, Ken Saunders. ‘It is all about trust. There is no doubt that public trust and confidence in banks has been shaken. The public trust solicitors.’
Neither is Ken surprised by the slight drop in fees charged by professionals for administering an estate.
‘We have always been extremely competitive on what we charge. We provide value for money,’ adds Ken. ‘Right at the outset we provide all of our clients with an estimate of the fees to be incurred. Further, those fees will not be increased without the agreement of the client.’
What about those who choose to administer an estate themselves?
‘There is nothing to stop any individual administering an estate themselves,’ says Ken. ‘However, we have seen an increasing number of probate disputes come through the door, with all the grief, upset and costs that come with it. The cost of getting something wrong can be very expensive. As well as value for money, we have nearly 250 years of providing peace of mind to our clients. This is what our clients want and why they ask us to deal with estates.'
Ken Saunders, together with his colleagues George Persson and Shirley Sargent would be pleased to answer any queries regarding estate administration.
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