Can I sack solicitor??

MissMessy_2

I have commented previously about Abode Conveyancing and Beaumont Legal... I really have not been happy with the service I have received and have read literally hundreds of complaints and negative feedback...

I could kick my self for making such a bad decision! So far we have paid £250 on account and nothing has been done yet apart from them requesting the searches which cost £110, which I assume will get taken from our money on account

Can we walk away from them and instruct a local conveyancer? I am happy if we loose the rest of the £250... I think it will be worth it in the long run


I have complained directly to Abode but have had no contact

Gwhiz

You don;t have to sack them. Just phone up and tell them you no longer require their services and would they refund any moneys not yet spent.

Simple!

MissMessy_2

Really? That simple?

Oh god I really hope thats possible... wont they try and keep the remainder?

PasturesNew

And can they forward the searches to you.

Yes, that simple.

Although you do need to read your contract carefully - to see if you're paying for them by the hour, or if it's a fixed fee.

MissMessy_2

I have read and re-read their terms and no where does it say if we wish to terminate their services?

missile

You may find they send you a bill for more than £250 for work already carried out.

Make sure you choose your new solicitor wisely.

MissMessy_2

Feel like an utter fool... Do people agree its better to cut and run even at a cost to us-to ensure the smooth running of our purchase?

I have also just noticed in T&C that if we do not complete within what they class is a reasonable duration then they will start charging us..

They reckon 4-6 weeks for a freehold purchase errrrr thats a bit optimistic isnt it??


Oh how I have paid the penalty for not reading terms properly

Hammyman

MissMessy wrote: »

They reckon 4-6 weeks for a freehold purchase errrrr thats a bit optimistic isnt it??

No. Ours took about that. Took a little longer with search delays but otherwise pretty much everything was done well under 6 weeks.

MissMessy_2

Thats great but I think generally its slightly longer.. our sale went as quick as possible and it still took 8 weeks and that was chain free

You only have to read the other threads to see that most people have given longer time scales

Richard_Webster

You will almost certainly have to pay something for the work they have done to date so you have to balance that cost against the extra speed you hope you will get from another solicitor.

Remember also that some of the delay can be on the seller's solicitor's part. If they do not send any papers out then your present conveyancer cannot magically speed it all up. No point changing conveyancer if the delay is all on the seller's side so your new conveyancer will be no faster!

Although I am not a great fan of some of the factory conveyancing outfits I would still be careful of knee jerk reaction before you have found out what they have or haven't done. Best to send an e-mail asking for a report on what has happened so far and what they are doing at the moment, then you will be able better to judge the position and whether you should ditch them. Obviously, if you do not get reply within a reasonable time then you have your answer.

ginvzt

We are dealing with Beaumont Legal for our purchase. Good thing we are buying from our landlord and he is a great (and forgiving) guy.

The latest 'joke' by Beaumont legal was sending a cheque (!!!!) for the deposit money (over £20k) to vendor's solicitors instead of electronic transfer. I was shocked.

We also had to find another solicitor to witness us signing some mortgage papers, and that cost us nearly £100 on top of all the fees we paid Beaumont.

I would sack them - but we are nearly there with completion, it is the last bit that is left. I hope they will not mess this up. And I am definitely going to ask them to confirm that the funds will be transferred using telegraphic transfer, for which there is a fee in the quote (and the one we paid already, together with the stamp duty money).