CO-OPERATIVE LEGAL SERVICES LIMITED

This was easy to arrange no catches. Things that we did not understand were explained to us in layman's terms so we understood things. We are both so pleased as it has been an excellent service.

Terrible communication. As a beneficiary investigating the validity of a will, the lack of professionalism and compassion is quite shocking. I've a mind to report them to an overseeing body it's been that bad. Letters not collected from the PO box address provided and emails not replied to and when they are following my assertions about my legal rights they are abrupt. They claim to be acting in a neutral capacity as administrators of the will they are evidently not.

DO NOT BE DRAWN IN BY SALES WHEN YOU ARE VULNERABLE.

We now feel this is the case. We were advised by Barclaycard to accept a referral to the Co -Op legal services for Probate.
Brian the Consultant (Salesman)who phoned us and promised if we were not happy with a case Handler for the probate of my Brother’s estate we could simply ask for a new Handler “1st wrong response “. This is not the case as we have found out. Personally we don’t have a problem with Priya the case handler as a person. However, we were not told our Case handler would be a Part Time employee and only available Monday to Wednesday. Making it very difficult to have contact when you need it. The next untruth was in an email from Priya, if she was unavailable you could contact the number and any one in her team would help! We have tried several times and told either you have rang the wrong office or you will have to call your Case Handler!!!!
If you don’t have an Ext number that Works you can wait for well over an hour.
I have given Brian the salesman opportunity to put this right, and he has communicated with Priya and the TEAM LEADER Erin well that has not worked if anything it has got Erin’s back up from the email I received from her.
I’ve gone on enough. I do hope if anyone is monitoring feedback they may want to help to solve this problem.

I will state, I have informed Brian the Salesman by Email I will do this .

UPDATE

SHAME ON YOU

Following on from above on 18th May 2026 Co-Ops Stacey Technical Performance Lead, Probate Operations. Terminated our contract. We thought she was calling to sort the problems out.

First when she finally called I told her I was going to Record the call. Straight away she said she was not happy with that and she would rather make notes, I asked why when she said Ok.

I contacted complaints after receiving a reply from Co-Op complaints when I posted our 1st feedback. Firstly I had a email reply from Julia, Complaints manager! Which I replied to asking for a phone call. I received an email back saying she would call Monday 18th May. Then I received another email from her. (I have been made aware that your concerns have been escalated to our Senior Team Leader, Stacey, who will be contacting you regarding the issues you have raised.)

Then after a few emails on Friday 15th May Stacey sent me another Saying I had been abusive ! The only word I used was “USELESS” about my Case handlers Team Leader Erin. ( Look up the meaning for USELESS). And that sums up the service we got.

Also be aware of sales talk from there salesman Brian .

When you are morning a loved one you have cared for through many years of illness. This is the last thing we needed.

I’m not going on any more. Co-Op shame on you.

My mother and father kept their wills with HSBC, which unfortunately now means dealing with the Co-op. After losing both parents in quick succession, I found myself navigating what can only be described as probate-themed endurance training.
First, I was confidently informed by one member of staff that the Co-op were the sole executor. They were not. Minor detail, apparently.
I then endured an hour-long conversation with a solicitor that felt less like legal advice and more like being cornered by someone trying to sell me a timeshare. At one point I genuinely asked if she was reading from a script. Judging by the pauses, I suspect the answer was yes.
The quote they eventually produced was so spectacularly inflated that solicitors I know through work looked at it with the sort of expression usually reserved for natural disasters and lottery winners.
I asked them to renounce and allow me to act as sole executor. Since then: complete silence. I’ve tried calling repeatedly and am currently 17 minutes into another hold queue while typing this. Last week I gave up before the music achieved permanent residency in my brain.
Their will-writing service may well be excellent. But before signing up, spare a thought for the relatives who’ll eventually have to deal with the company afterwards. Alternatively, if you possess a particularly dark sense of humour, appoint them as joint executor alongside someone you actively dislike.

29 minutes and I give up.... again

Update… Co-op is the joy that just keeps on giving. 🎻
For the last few weeks I’ve been trying to get the deeds of renunciation so I can apply for probate. According to several different people, I’d already been sent an email explaining everything I needed to do. Incredible really, considering this mystery email seems to exist only as folklore within the company.
I tried phoning, which mainly involved listening to hold music so often I’m now considering adding it to my Spotify Wrapped. I emailed the solicitors I originally dealt with, only to be told I needed to contact the department directly… while not actually being given the email address for the department. Perhaps they wanted to spice things up with a little detective work.
After enduring yet another concert of soul-destroying hold music, I finally reached what I believe may be the only competent person in the organisation. Diane from Renunciations informed me that I hadn’t received the details because someone had sent them to the wrong email address. The incompetence is honestly breathtaking. At this stage I’m less applying for probate and more starring in a low-budget administrative thriller.
Anyway, Diane deserves a pay rise. She’s the only person I’ve spoken to at Co-op who appears to know her job and, revolutionary concept, treated me like an actual human being.
So hopefully one day I will actually receive the details so I can begin battling the probate system itself. Until then, all I can really say is: don’t use this company unless you actively despise your surviving relatives.

Hannah at the Co op legal services felt with our account. The phone call meeting about writing our Will was easy and much quicker than expected. The whole process was easy to use and Hannah answered all our questions.