A family were charged £18,000 by a solicitor who was helping them deal with their mother's £250,000 estate, a court heard today.

Kathleen Bentley, and her brother and sister, Brian and Doreen, of Old Byland, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, turned to their family's solicitor when their mother Hilda died in February 1996, aged 83.

As she made no will, Jeremy David Cave, 53, of The Grange, near Thirsk, agreed to handle matters with Kathleen Bentley stepping up as a personal representative - the legal term for an executor when no last wishes are recorded.

The fortune, made up of bank accounts, premium bonds and free hold property, was to be divided equally between the three children.

"We expected he would be paying himself out of the legacy but we never saw bills for his services," Miss Bentley told Teesside Crown Court, where his hearing for theft from 10 estates is being heard.

Coroner Mr Cave was also dealing with the sale of a house and some shares from Mrs Bentley's estate but the house was never sold and Miss Bentley could not recall receiving any money for the sale of their shares.

She said: "We did call him but we never got any straight answers - just that the Halifax Building Society was holding things up."

In June 2000 the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors contacted the Bentleys to inform them they been charged £18,000 for Mr Cave's services between September 1996 and July 1999.

Defending solicitor Eric Elliot reminded Miss Bentley about an £830 cheque she had received, signed and returned to Mr Cave.

He said this was for the sale of the shares and their portion was paid to each of the siblings as part of a £30,000 lump sum, which took into account other proceeds from the estate.

Mr Elliot said delays with the house came about because of the tax implications of using the family farmhouse as a home rather than a business.

The trial continues.