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Anon @ 12:25, could you be a little more specific about what you mean about disbursements not required (disbursements are 3rd party costs) plus how do you mean the costs were not fixed? What costs do you mean?

You also mentioned woeful advice and failed to elaborate on that, woeful in whose opinion?

Now people reading this I am sure don't like ABS companies but that doesn't mean you should post something with very little information and not explain anything. If that was the case there would be hundreds of complaints and investigations people could post about solicitors practices and getting struck off etc.

It is obvious this forum is probably all solicitors apart from the odd one, all seem to hate the coop, who I understand are regulated by the SRA, when technically, any joe bloggs could open up a probate and estate planning company with no regulation and do whatever, at the end of the day a consumer has the right to do whatever they feel when using legal services for probate/estate planning/conveyancing etc they can either do it themselves, use a solicitors practice, an ABS regulated company or an unregulated firm.

It's all well and good slating the coop, or others slating solicitors etc, but at the end of the day, it's the consumer who makes the choice, and far be it for me to say a solicitor is a bad choice over costs or using the coop over fixed costs is a bad choice, the consumer should be the one who makes the decision and any consumer should always see more than one provider and make a decision on how they feel.

Now I respect solicitors are legally trained and believe they are the best people to talk about these things, but I believe coop has solicitors as well. I am not a solicitor I hold a degre in law, I just didn't pursue the solicitor route. I know it's always going to be an argument between private client solicitors and ABS companies, but in the end ALL should be working for the consumer and what they want.

It is rather disappointing to read the comments made below from all sides, remember probate, Wills etc is a choice and we all need to remember that especially in probate, often times the people dealing with this have lost a loved one, some need no help, some need a little help and some just want to have it done for them, it is their CHOICE who they feel more comfortable instructing to do this work.

I'm sure most legal professionals decided when enetering this industry it was to make a difference and to help people, I'm sure making money wasn't the defining factor.

Stop dissing each other and try and just be there for those that WANT to have you do work on their behalf, and don't look at them as a cash cow, or a contract, remember there is a real person(s) the other end often hurting after losing someone.