How do you find a good solicitor?

newbridge

Hi,
As the title suggests, I am trying to find a solicitor for a property purchase. Normally its from friends or local relative recommendation. In my case I am about to buy a property in an area new to me and i don't know anyone with recommendations locally. The EA says I need to give details of solicitor within 24 hours of my offer being accepted. But I haven't got one yet.

The mortgage lender has got their panel, but they(aka Countrywide...) are not quite popular for their service on MSE forums and hence want to avoid them.

What do you suggest?

xylophone

http://www.solicitor.info/ might be something here?

Mozzanov

There are reviews for conveyancers on here http://www.reallymoving.com/ although I felt some of them had fake reviews, to be honest. Or maybe I am just too cynical. I also found this to be a good guide: http://www.theadvisory.co.uk/conveyancing-quote.php

There's also a section about it here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/house-buying-guide

Good luck, mate.

Richard_Webster

If friends etc can recommend a solicitor in the area where you used to live there's no reason why you shouldn't use them. Slightly inconveneine thaving to post some things but most can be doen by e-mail and phone.

Otherwise Google "Conveyancing Solicitors[name of your town]" and phone some up and talk to them. You should be able to get some idea about what they are like by asking a few questions - ask them to explain what the searches are, for instance. Get a feel for whether they will explain stuff to you or you will simply get a letter saying "sign here..."

Once you have spoken to one and you have got some figures then when you call the next one, if he sets the figures for e.g. searches, out in adifferent way, ask for an explanation so you can compare like with like. Again you should be able to judge by how they explain (or don't). Don't necessarily go for the cheapest, but assess what kind of a service you can expect from those you talk to.

I assume from what you said that you are getting a mortgage from HSBC. You will need then to check that the solicitor is Conveyancing Quakity Scheme accredited and therefore able to act for HSBC.

Sponge

Do you actually have a choice in the matter? Don't you have to use a conveyancer from the panel?

SG27

Don't use ours! It takes them days to respond to simple yes or no questions!

ACG

You can use a solicitor anywhere in the country.

Richard_Webster

Do you actually have a choice in the matter? Don't you have to use a conveyancer from the panel?

If it is HSBC then you can use any CQS accredited firm and there are 2100 of us in the country so a fair amount of choice.

chickaroonee

I'd still go for a recommendation, doesn't matter if they're close.

Avoid countrywide at all costs! Speaking from experience.

newbridge

Sponge wrote: »

Do you actually have a choice in the matter? Don't you have to use a conveyancer from the panel?

you wont believe, but the the mortgage guy in hsbc who did my AIP told me that countrywide aren't that good!!!


Thanks all for your responses. really helpful to get me going..

chickaroonee

We used countrywide for our first house in 2002. How naive were we!

My solicitor I've just used was scathing about them. It's a general helpline no when you call, even if you're the other side's solicitor, and no-one is actually assigned to deal with all queries. She said they were a nightmare.

FWIW I didn't see my solicitor once, everything done by email and although she was local to me, she wasn't to the property. She was excellent (and good value) too, definitely go for a recommendation if you can. I can honestly say this sale would've fallen through if we'd have been using countrywide.