Solicitor fees: Is estate value = value of assets only or assets minus liabilities

[rocopop]

This post is in regard to potential solicitor fees for handling the will of an uncle of mine. He quoted 2% of the estate. But recent valuations of the assets and outstanding mortgages on the properties results in a nett value of very little. When solicitors are charging fees do they just look at the value of assets and ignore liabilities, or is assets minus liabilities = the estate value?

 

[Vanilla]

Charging a percentage of the value of an estate is unusual nowadays- it is more usual for a solicitor to charge work on a time costing basis given the nature of the assets and work involved.