Do you pay for Conveyancing costs if you work for a Solicitor?

SAVVYSHOPPER

I have worked for my current employer for approx 27 years and have recently asked them to act for me to purchase a flat. I mistakenly thought that they would not charge any conveyancing fees apart from the disbursements but was today informed that they would do it for a 'substantial discount' of £300. Whilst I realise that buying a flat is more detailed and therefore more expensive than the conveyancing on a house I do not feel that £300 is a 'substantial discount'. Could I please ask if anyone who works for a Solicitors has received free conveyancing or am I being totally unrealistic?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice/opinions

xxSS

<sebb>

Don't work for a solicitor but that seems pretty cheap to me! I would never expect my employer to give me free advice and I don't know anyone that works with me that would!

jennifernil

I think you are being unrealistic.

Your "freebie" would be someone else's cost.

sonastin

What do they usually charge clients? If it is substantially lower, they probably are doing at "cost". Would you stay behind and do a few hours free overtime for something personal for one of the other employees? That is effectively what you are asking for. If they usually charge clients £301 + disbursements, I think its time you started looking for someone else to work for!

Nicki

When I bought my first property my then firm did the conveyancing for free. When we moved on, the new firm didn't do that kind of work so had to pay another solicitor the going rate. Unless the conveyancer is a partner in the firm they will be paid their normal salary to do the conveyancing for you whether you pay the partners or not, so don't understand sonastin's point.

caeler

I work for a company that amongst other things does vehicle mechanics. We have a staff rate which is lower than clients pay. I'd still expect to pay. This is the same.

SAVVYSHOPPER

Forgot to mention that I had offered (before I found out that they would be charging me) to do all the typing etc in my own time either in lunch hour or after work, suffice to say that I will not do this if I go ahead with instructing them at this price

Also other members of staff have had their conveyancing costs for free and have moved several times, so have had lots of transactions covered completely free of charge (except of course the disbursements)

xxSS

sonastin

Nicki wrote: »

When I bought my first property my then firm did the conveyancing for free. When we moved on, the new firm didn't do that kind of work so had to pay another solicitor the going rate. Unless the conveyancer is a partner in the firm they will be paid their normal salary to do the conveyancing for you whether you pay the partners or not, so don't understand sonastin's point.

Point was the solicitor's salary has to come from somewhere. Someone (not necessarily that particular solicitor) will be doing fee-paying work and not taking anything home for it so that the solicitor can be paid to work on this case. A partner can probably afford it but on principle, why should they...

SAVVYSHOPPER wrote: »

Also other members of staff have had their conveyancing costs for free and have moved several times, so have had lots of transactions covered completely free of charge (except of course the disbursements)

Have circumstances changed since the last lot moved? Is the company struggling more now and needing to cut overheads? Could it be a "perk" offered to folks higher up the food chain (I don't like the practice but some places do it). Its not unfair to expect free conveyancing if precedents have been set.

Emmylou_2

All the legal firms I've worked for have offered "free" conveyancing - from very small high street firms to large national ones.

(Free is a relative term though - you have to pay disbursements and any SDLT etc that's due).

Nicki

sonastin wrote: »

Point was the solicitor's salary has to come from somewhere. Someone (not necessarily that particular solicitor) will be doing fee-paying work and not taking anything home for it so that the solicitor can be paid to work on this case. A partner can probably afford it but on principle, why should they

This completely misunderstands how the economics of a solicitors firm works. The solicitor or clerk doing the work will be paid the same amount whether or not they do OP's conveyancing free or not. Provided OP pays the disbursements the partners will lose no money by not charging her unless they have to turn work away because they are doing OP's work (which is highly highly unlikely). All the partners lose by doing the work free of charge is the opportunity to make a profit on that piece of work. As for why - they don't have to of course but it is a customary professional courtesy in this industry.

SAVVYSHOPPER

Its a Partner that I work for and that I had asked to do the conveyancing but would be just as happy for a Licensed Conveyancer to do it instead

Yes, I feel that the firm may be struggling but feel that they waste money hand over fist in lots of other areas so cannot feel too sorry for them

The Partner is doing a similar transaction for a private client not connected with the firm at all for £400 so I feel that £300 is not a substantial reduction but just wondered what other people thought

thanks for your help

xxSS