Duns solicitor Ricky Hope was recently asked to visit an elderly client at home.
Ricky was shocked by what he discovered.
The client, we’ll call him Mr Y, had called because he was having second thoughts and concerns about the Will and Power of Attorney he had paid to have drawn up by a well known Funeral Plan Provider.
Mr Y had been charged a whopping £845 for the two documents and, as it turned out, neither the Will nor the Power of Attorney was worth the paper it was written on.
The Will was not valid as it had been left unsigned due to the poor instructions provided for doing so. The Power of Attorney had basic spelling mistakes and actually lacked the valid certificate required under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 without which the Power of Attorney is unable to be registered and is largely useless. Mr Y was instead provided with a blank certificate and was advised to arrange himself for his Doctor to sign the same. Quite apart from the inconvenience factor, whilst a Doctor may provide this service it is not covered by NHS remit and a fee would normally be charged.
So, what do you get for your money?
Well for this particular client all he got was a blank Will and a useless Power of Attorney.
At Hastings Legal our charges are considerably less than Mr Y was charged by the Funeral Plan Provider. Our charges cover all normal procedures from beginning to end including home visits, storage of documents in our safe, completion of Power of Attorney Certificate by one of our solicitors, obtaining consent forms from Attorneys and the submission of Power of Attorney for registration. Please note that there is a registration fee payable to the Office of the Public Guardian.
We would not dream of expecting you to complete documents yourself, submit forms for registration or obtain the crucial certificate from a third party. It is our job as local Solicitors to take care of all of this for you. We take pride and pleasure in meeting our clients in person and getting to know you. This way we can deliver a top quality level of service at reasonable rates. As solicitors we are regulated by The Law Society of Scotland so you can have peace of mind that your affairs are in order.
All our charges are up front and we can provide a written quote so you know exactly what you are getting and what it will cost. Take a look at our article ‘Compare the Cost of Making a Will’. You may be pleasantly surprised by our level of service!
© Ricky Hope for Hastings Legal 2017
We would not dream of expecting you to complete documents or submit forms for registration yourselfHastings Legal LabContact Us
If your Will or Power of Attorney Provider is not local you will be expected to complete and register documents yourself. A local solicitor takes responsibility at all stages until the job is completed. As they say; “Best Shop Local”.
Hastings Legal solicitors offer a FREE* Scottish Will Checking Service if you are concerned that your Will may not be valid or up-to-date. Give us a call on 01573 226999
*Borders and Edinburgh
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