Be on your guard for Probate Scams

Applying for Probate can be a stressful and emotional process especially if you are grieving the loss of someone close having recently passed away. It is especially important that you are not taken advantage of at this time and that you do not make a bad decision when instructing a Probate firm to assist you with the Probate process.

It is becoming increasingly common for Probate firms or companies to advertise their services online and to throw statistics and figures at you professing to be the most competitive in the business. Traditionally, probate work was the domain of high street practices with larger firms undertaking high net worth cases. However, these days a number of other firms and companies have entered the market thereby increasing competition.

You should not be lured in to instructing a so called Probate firm to act for you in your Probate matter simply because of the cut price deals they have on offer or the persuasive nature of the contents of their website. Internet business has attracted many ‘scammers’ and it is important to be on guard. You should research the firm beforehand to ensure they are genuine and that they exist. You must also be satisfied that they have knowledge and experience in the field of probate before instructing them and paying them to undertake your Probate work. Following the recession, many lawyers found themselves having to branch into different areas of law (eg conveyancing lawyers switching to a different field due to the shortage of property work) and ‘Wills and Probate’ became a very popular area overnight. Many firms and organisations cottoned on to this hence the reason why so many more have branched in to this field recently.

Before instructing a firm to assist you with Probate and the administering of your family or friend’s Estate make sure the firm is genuine and is not out there to take your money and scam you. And then check exactly what they will be charging for the work.  Many of these companies agree to taking on the work but outsource to other firms, which is fine, if that is what you want. Make sure there are no hidden charges – it is always advisable to agree a fee up front and to ensure there will be no changes down the line. The last thing you want is an extortionate bill at the end of the day simply because you hadn’t understood all the ‘add-ons’. Your loved one wanted the money to go to their friends and family and not spent on lawyers fees!