A Chinese cancer patient, who wanted to donate her property to charity, racked up 200,000 yuan (US$30,700) in legal consultation fees.

A 42-year-old from Wuhan in Hubei was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago and was recently in the last stage of cancer. “I cannot live much longer, but I still have an apartment. And I would like to donate it. You want to give back to society,” she told Chinese media outlets.

Once a pet owner, she decided to sell her property and donate the proceeds to local animal charities. She approached a legal firm to express her wishes but did not meet the lawyers in person. When her health dramatically deteriorated last year, she sought the firm again.

She was told by the firm’s person in charge, surnamed Fan, that handling the planned giving would be costly. She was charged 100,000 yuan after the first meeting with Fan and another 100,000 yuan for consultation after six days. She was also asked to transfer part of her financial legacy of 800,000 yuan to Fan and sign a contract, stating the transaction is made voluntarily.

Growing skeptical, she asked to terminate the commission and only received a refund of 50,000 yuan. She filed a complaint to the bar association, only to realize Fan was not a registered lawyer and only the owner of the legal firm.

Fan claimed the charge of 200,000 yuan in consultation fees is reasonable. “Our services are provided not only within the day. She can complain to wherever she wants, but we are only acting according to the law,” he said. The fees cover legal consultation, communication with animal charities, the patient’s daily expenses and drafting her will, he added.

The Wuchang Justice Bureau in Wuhan has expressed concern about the incident and promised an investigation after it was reported. Fan has approached the client again to request a private settlement. The firm is willing to refund 170,000 yuan, under the condition that she signs a non-disclosure agreement and stops speaking to the press.

Li Ying-jun, a legal professional in Sichuan, told Apple Daily that due to commercialization of legal services in mainland China, charges for legal services are often based on negotiations between clients and lawyers, and are stated in contracts. Drafting a legal will and handling the financial legacy is not a particularly difficult task, which often has a huge room for bargaining, he added.

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