Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initially

[Vanilla]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

I'm curious about that. Would you also charge for preparation of the PD form, or the Objections and Requisitions/replies? I have to say that I find it hard to see how the Family Home declaration is singled out for different treatment. It is as central to the process as the one listed above. Surely they should all be included in the professional fee.

I was referring to Wexfordguys post where he referred to someone being charged for a family law declaration as a seperate transaction. Naturally I would not charge a seperate fee for one in the context of an overall transaction.

Dee101- are you involved in LS audits? Because a written memo of a conversation with a client giving them estimate is sufficient. That is not what we do in our office- we always give a written estimate. Just making the point. Assume that if you give the client a copy of the memo/estimate while they are with you that is sufficient as that is what LS tell us.

 

[Flax]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

for what it is worth, if the total bill was to be 4K then that would be a professional fee of 1.25K for each transaction which I would not regard as particularly worthwhile.

Do you mind me asking how long each transaction would take you? i.e. how many hours do you have to work to earn 1.25k?

 

[j26]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

Do you mind me asking how long each transaction would take you? i.e. how many hours do you have to work to earn 1.25k?

To be fair, from what I know, €1,250 is not excessive by any stretch. Solicitors normally take on this kind of work at a standard rate, even though the work involved could vary considerably. They are also taking the responsibility for the conveyancing on their insurance.

 

[rco2000]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

Folks. There Is A Website In Ireland Called www.rateyoursolicitor.com . Please Rate These Gangsters As We Need To Start Start Standing Up For What Is Right. It Is A Fantastic Website & You Would Be Shocked To Read Some Of The Comments About Your Local Solicitors!!

 

[clipper]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

The house was purchased for 730k, does the land registry fee depend on the value of the house - the land was valued at 317k I think. Is there anywhere I can check how much the land reg fee should be? There is a mortgage on the house as well,

 

[Askar]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

The house was purchased for 730k, does the land registry fee depend on the value of the house - the land was valued at 317k I think. Is there anywhere I can check how much the land reg fee should be? There is a mortgage on the house as well,

Yes. http://www.landregistry.ie/eng/ click on fees.


I would be surprised if Law Society would accept a written memo. Is there somewhere on their site or some practice direction where they have stated that a 'written memo' suffices? Of course, the Goodbody case holds that failure to comply with this requirement does not preclude lawyer from entitlement to reasonable compensation, and not aware that Goodbodys were taken to task by Law Society (open to correction on this), and indeed, afaik instructed them to represent them in competition authority enquiry; so maybe some solicitors take the view that no effective sanction for non-compliance?

 

[Bronte]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

Be advised,a friend of mine was quoted 300 for obtaining a Family Home declaration from a solicitor.I had one as an email attachment(free) and another solicitor signed it for 14 euro.

What did the friend who was quoted 300 need the family home declaration for as I find it hard to understand the fee quoted. There must have been more work to it then that. In anycase it always pays to shop around.

 

[angstfree]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

Clipper
The outlays you've been charged look ok, but professional fees are OTT. A competitive quote would be no more than half that. You are entitled to a quote before the transaction goes ahead and you should certainly have received the final bill on the day of the closing, not 2 years later. It sounds like you have a legitimate grievance here. I would suggest contacting the Law Society in writing. They can seek an explanation on your behalf.

 

[roker]

Re: Are we obliged to pay ridiculous bill from solicitor when no price agreed initial

I had a dispute with my solicitor over bills because he made such a hash of the job on a number of issues and almost lost me the purchase of a house.
I contacted the law society and the first thing they asked was "did I have a quote" which I was not given. You are supposed to have a quote.
It is our fault for not insisting on a quote and shopping around.