Are all solicitors useless and liers?

clairehi

lordexavier_the_2nd wrote:

4 and Half months ago i instructed my solicitor to get the ball rolling. it was only when i contacted her 2 weeks ago she started doing any enquiries in to the purchase.
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and the moral of the story is... you have to chase them, no news is probably bad news!

We went with the solicitor recommended by the sellers EA, and they were absolutely fine, they got everything done presto pronto. The solicitor himself did nothing except approve the work of his legal exec and secretary - they were probably a sight more eficient than he would have been. also, because they knew all the EAs in the chain (small town) and the other sols, it all went through smoothly.

babydino

We went through the same situation with both sides saying they are waiting for each other and lost post. Felt like piggy in the middle sometimes. You just have to be persistent and keep calling your solicitor. We called them almost daily.

lordexavier_the_2nd

dunstonh wrote:

The solicitor may have been able to do a few things but many of the items are date specific and valid for limited periods.

I would have thought the sales office would have given you a date to work to and you would inform the solicitor of that date. If it was ready 3 weeks ago, what happened to the notification from the sales office? Why did you wait until a week later before updating the solicitor?

I dont want to sound like an apologist for solicitors but I work closely with one and what you find is most of the work is not done by the solicitors and that people assume too much of solicitors and assume they should know things without being told (i.e. completion dates).

In hindsight thats what i would have done, I am a first time buyer and just assumed that everyone talked to each other and just informed me when things needed signing and paying etc.
I dont really have any idea about how it all works, yes it was a bit naive of me to think that this would happen but hey, we live and learn.

clear_blu

scrivomcdivo wrote:

12th Oct 06 - First Offer Submitted
12th Oct 06 - Offer Accepted
13th Oct 06 - Finalisation Meeting with Mortgage Broker
16th Oct 06 - Application Submitted to Nationwide
17th Oct 06 - Application Processed Successfully. Surveyor Instructed
18th Oct 06 - Solicitor Instructed
23th Oct 06 - Surveyor Attended
24th Oct 06 - Survey Report Back - Bow in the Building Front Wall
01st Nov 06 - Agreement reached for work
25th Nov 06 - Received Mortgage Offer
26st Nov 06 - Awaiting Vendor's Solicitor to Sent Out Contract

I have had literally hundreds of dealings with solicitors over the years.
The shortest time I have ever known from acceptance of offer to completion is 6 weeks, the average time I would guess is 8 to 10 weeks.
This looks like your on course to me..........Be happy you haven't hit any icebergs............:D

MegS

OP two things strike me about your post - one have you informed your solicitor the vendor reckons the contracts were sent ten days ago in which case your solicitor should contact the vendor's solicitors to say they haven't received it and two I have never (in ten years of working as a legal secretary) known a solicitor to send a contract by recorded delivery. In the majority of cases we use the DX system. Things do go missing, we've had a client not receive a passport sent by recorded delivery. The PO told us they can't track it until it has been received - go figure.

beanieandme

A lot of them are pants, yes. Keep chasing.

scrivomcdivo

MegS wrote:

OP two things strike me about your post - one have you informed your solicitor the vendor reckons the contracts were sent ten days ago in which case your solicitor should contact the vendor's solicitors to say they haven't received it and two I have never (in ten years of working as a legal secretary) known a solicitor to send a contract by recorded delivery. In the majority of cases we use the DX system. Things do go missing, we've had a client not receive a passport sent by recorded delivery. The PO told us they can't track it until it has been received - go figure.

Megs, thanks for your reply. I did tell the solicitor that the vendor believes the contract has been sent. That telephone conversation was at 10am and so, it may be that the contract arrived later that day in the post. Also, it was the vendor who told me it had been sent by recorded delivery and so, I can only go on what I am told.