Need solicitors quotes - what to ask?????

Harvard82

Hi all

I am a first time buyer & in the middle of getting my finance in order. Going to start getting quotes from solicitors for conveyancing fees but I've not got clue what to ask!?

Does anyone have advise on what questions I should be asking when getting quotes?

Sorry if this sounds like a silly question but I'm new to this!

Thanks in advance.

Joe_Bloggs

Ask your solicitor in whose interests will they act ? The mortgage lender, the vendor or you ? It could be that your solicitor needs to be part of a larger group to be worthy of the trust of the other risk taking parties. There is ,statistically, safety in numbers.
I could be wrong.
J_B. ( Make your opinion grate.)

Yorkie1

When I got quotes, I simply rang up and said I was seeking a quote for buying a house. They asked me a couple of generic questions such as the price of the purchase, and whether it was a house / flat, freehold or leasehold. They then simply told me what their quote would be. I didn't have to ask many questions at that point.

They put the quote in writing and emailed it to me.

I suppose two specific things I would be asking would be:
1. Who will be doing the conveyancing? i.e. is it the person you've spoken to and therefore who you've got a sense of (and some continuity), or will it be team conveyancing?
2. Once you know which mortgage company you're going with, whether they are on that lender's panel of solicitors.

Apart from that, I didn't need to ask too many questions, they knew what they needed to tell me.

GMS

Make sure any quotes you get are fully inclusive, not just for legal fees. You need the total to include searches, land reg, disbursements, etc.

Also check how many partners are in the firm. If it is a sole practitioner they are likely to not be acceptable to a lender. Check if they are on your lender panel too.

sophievenusdoom

Generally speaking, most lenders will recommend their own sols if you get stuck