Special Delivery

Having sorted out the oath with the solicitor yesterday, today I had to post it back to the solicitor who is dealing with probate. I'm finding every little thing about dealing with my Mum's affairs emotionally draining. As I was leaving home this morning I remembered that there was another letter from the solicitor, which I'd only briefly glanced at. It was on the surface of it one of those so-called customer care letters where they set out exactly how much (not very) they are going to do for you and how many limbs (most of them) they expect from you in return. I thought all I'd have to do is to sign it and return it in the same envelope as the Oath and Will. On further reading it turns out because of money laundering regulations they need a "certified photocopy" of my passport which they helpfully pointed out that I could obtain from my Bank. So now I have to find my passport and find my bank (this is the 21st Century). Why send me masses of bumpf (bumf, bumph according to which dictionary you use) and then bury the only important bit in the place least likely to be read (two-thirds of the way down the second to last page)?

I was so.... I was going to say angry, but I don't really do angry. Frustrated, dissapointed, sad. Sad because I don't want things to do with my Mum to be a hassle. All of the above (even the anger bit), directed at myself because I could have / should have read the letter four or five days ago when I received the letter. And that was another thing that annoyed/upset me - the letter (and the one about the Oath/Will) were both dated 29th February but were received on 5th March. I know that the Oath Will was posted on the 4th because it was sent Special Delivery. I said that I received it on the 5th but being Special Delivery and no-one being in to sign for it I didn't actually see it until the 8th.

So because I don't have a certified copy of my passport I had to send the Will/Oath back without. I won't go into the tragi-comic attempts at enveloping them but they added to the general unhappiness. Then I went to the little local post office because it needed to be sent Special Delivery and they were polite and very efficient and although I gulped a little at the cost, it still seemed good value for money (in that I couldn't possibly perform the same service myself at the same price).

Solicitors and sub-Post Offices. Now which of those are closing down in vast quantities and which are springing up on every street corner?