Wonder if there are any solicitors out there who can advise if this is normal re -communication, or lack of? Sorry this is long...
My bachelor cousin died last year, beneficiaries were 9 of his cousins' children, executors were a firm of solicitors with links to the family. The estate was finalised earlier this year, my daughter (16) is the only beneficiary still under 18.
Original solicitor went on maternity leave before xmas and her role was taken over by a stand-in, from what I can gather.
He wrote to me in February, suggesting we meet to discuss my daughter's money and how it would be managed over next 2 yrs. I had just lost my mum, so was back in home town (where solicitors based) and went and met him. He suggested my husband and I take over as trustees, in place of the solicitors.
We eventually took her to meet him (2hr drive after school one Friday) in May, as nothing could happen until he met her and she gave her blessing for us to be trustees. At the end of that meeting, he told us to open an account, to hold the money in trust initially, and he would raise the paperwork to change the trustee names.
That was 7 weeks ago. We have heard nothing. We struggled to communicate with him earlier in the year, but he seems to have just got a lot worse.
He just doesn't respond to emails (both recent and before our May meeting), we have left a number of messages with his secretary and on voicemail (no response). We know he has had a holiday since we met, but all I am asking is for a progress report. Has he still to raise the paperwork, has he raised it but awaiting the existing trustees to sign it? A quick email or phone call to tell us where he is at, but that seems too much to ask. We told him we had opened the account, via email, as soon as we had done it, so he is not waiting for us.
I don't want to get heavy handed and go higher up to a partner, but on the other hand, my daughter's money is sat in their client account, earning a pittance. Not managed by either the existing trustees or by ourselves. They suggested we take over as trustees, not us.
I know not all solicitors are like this, the original lady rang to update me when an interim payment was made a year ago, telling me what would happen to my kids' interim payments (DS was still under 18 at time, but has since turned 18 and got full payment, albeit after some chasing).
Can anyone give advise, is this normal behaviour, am I expecting to much? I am not strictly the Client, but am acting on behalf of my daughter.
Should I just give up, and let them manage it for next 2 years. But even that isnt happening, we just seem to have reached an impasse.