Disinstructing solicitors - advice please

Sezz_2

Hello,

We're very near to disinstructing our solicitors acting for us on our house purchase. Without going into the exact reasons, we are very unhappy with their service, not least because they never return calls and have only just in the last week started looking at something we highlighted to them 6 weeks ago.

If we do disinstruct them, can we have them forward to a new solicitor all the searches and enquiries that they do have, and that we've paid for, or will the new solicitor have to start over again?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks.

DVardysShadow

If you have paid for searches, you have rights to them - consult with the new solicitor as to the best way of transferring - eg your lender might possibly disallow the searches if you get them yourself and hand them to the new solicitor.

Expect the old solicitor to take their time over handing material over and for it not to be easy - but if you are going to sack them, do it sooner rather than later and let the Agent know.

LandyAndy

DVardysShadow wrote: »

If you have paid for searches, you have rights to them - consult with the new solicitor as to the best way of transferring - eg your lender might possibly disallow the searches if you get them yourself and hand them to the new solicitor.

Expect the old solicitor to take their time over handing material over and for it not to be easy - but if you are going to sack them, do it sooner rather than later and let the Agent know.

They'll probably want paying first as well.

Sezz_2

Thanks guys.

Thankfully it's not to this after all but it needed a kick up the behind. Still going to be a long drawn out process though.

Doozergirl

Have you been through the complaints procedure with them - ie. is it possible to have someone else in house deal with it? Is that what you've done?

A swift kick up the backside does often help get things through, especially if you can take a bit more control - making them go through with you a list of what needs doing still and if you can chase the vendors too.

It is likely to be less heartache and expense to stick with these guys and manage them closely rather than hand over and start again with someone else.