Martin
Collected on:
Greedy and uncaring
We asked Cadmans to act for us on 21st July 2022. This was after the death of our mother on 15th July. We thought that if we spent a bit more and employed a solicitor to obtain a grant of probate, this would be less stressful for us at such a sad time.
We were given an all-inclusive price of £750 to obtain the grant of probate and we were told that this would include the registry fees.
We were sent a letter on 22 July which quoted us £750 plus VAT plus £278 for the registry and delivery. This would have been £420 more than we had originally been quoted but we did not query this at the time.
My brother suffers from a form of muscular dystrophy which means that he has problems writing and can not sign his signature easily.
We were sent forms to sign after my brother had asked to become involved which required both of our signatures. I signed the forms and took them to my brother to sign. He had contracted shingles and had lost vision in one eye meaning that he could not sign unaided. I had to help him sign on his request.
I was contacted by Cadmans stating that there was a problem with the signatures. I then offered to take my brother into the office so that Cadmans could witness both our signatures (or any mark that my brother was able to make). I was told that this could be done but there would be an additional charge of £250.
We refused to pay the additional charge on the grounds that it was treating my disabled brother unfairly.
After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade Cadmans to drop the additional charge, we chose to ask Cadmans for the return of my mother's will which they had been holding. This was refused, and we were told that the will would not be released until payment was made.
We were then offered a special discounted rate of £200 additional charge for a home visit (something that we had been pushing for from the start) At this point, we informed Cadmans that we no longer required them to act for us but we still had to pay a total of £905 for a service that they did not complete.
Cadmans have shown absolutely no consideration for the need to ensure that their services are accessible to disabled people and have stated that "they are not a charity", which we have on record in an email exchange,
The original will was returned to us on 24th October. Over three months after giving Cadmans the original instruction.
A representative from Cadmans Law Limited responded to this review on 04 April, 2024:
Dear Martin. Firstly, as stated previously, we are sorry for the loss of your mother. We appreciate that this was a difficult time for you and your family. However, we do not agree with your comments as to the fees quoted or the service we provided as they are simply not a true reflection of what happened, as agreed by the Legal Ombudsman who dismissed your complaint as it was considered without merit. The solicitor dealing with your matter made every attempt to assist you, having made several adjustments & concessions. However, you failed to cooperate. Your brother’s welfare was of paramount concern to the solicitor dealing, and unfortunately, your brother’s instructions and wishes did not accord with yours either. Therefore, appropriate steps were taken to ensure that we acted in his best interests, being a vulnerable . Whilst we made several concessions and adjustments to try and accommodate, we cannot be expected to provide you with services, free of charge, as agreed by the Legal Ombudsman. With all that said, we are very sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with the service provided by Cadmans. We always aim to offer the best service possible and to assist our clients, wherever we can. We trust that the above clarifies the position, however, should you wish to discuss the matter further then please do not hesitate to contact us.
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