Conveyancing Solicitor - Acceptable?

zeebee1

I would love some thoughts from you savvy lot. I am in the process of buying my first property. I instructed my conveyancing solicitor nearly two months ago and have had terrible communication from her ever since. I had specific enquiries I needed her advice on regarding a loft conversion with no consent etc but any time I asked she would say - wait for your mortgage offer or wait for your buildings survey. Now both of those things have been offered/done, I chased her again yesterday. Today, I have finally had an email from her admitting that she does not yet have the draft contract from the vendors' solicitor.

She has not done any searches, as she said she needs the draft contract first. Is that correct?

I feel that two months is a shockingly long wait and my instinct is to change solicitors. Am I being too demanding, do you think?

Any feedback would be so great.

Dan-Dan

zeebee1 wrote: »

I would love some thoughts from you savvy lot. I am in the process of buying my first property. I instructed my conveyancing solicitor nearly two months ago and have had terrible communication from her ever since. I had specific enquiries I needed her advice on regarding a loft conversion with no consent etc but any time I asked she would say - wait for your mortgage offer or wait for your buildings survey. Now both of those things have been offered/done, I chased her again yesterday. Today, I have finally had an email from her admitting that she does not yet have the draft contract from the vendors' solicitor.

She has not done any searches, as she said she needs the draft contract first. Is that correct?

I feel that two months is a shockingly long wait and my instinct is to change solicitors. Am I being too demanding, do you think?

Any feedback would be so great.

The only thing i can add to this is that my solicitors also wont start searches etc until they have received the draft contract, so perhaps is normal

sulphate

Two months is a shocking amount of time to wait for this. At the very least you should have had searches done by now. However if she has only just received the contract from the vendors' solicitors, it sounds like it's them that is being incredibly slow.

dexterwolf

That sounds shocking!!!

I am in the process and nearly 5 weeks now. Solicitors you need to chase as they probably have 10 or so sales and purchases on the go. I am afraid if you push them a bit you seem to get more response. I am hoping to be completed in the next 3/4 weeks. That will have been the entire time its taken you so far.

ValHaller

If you instruct her to do searches, she should do them draft contract or no. You risk costs if you do this. But if you don't instruct her, then she is doing it right.

But if there is no draft contract after 2 months, something is not right with your vendor's side. So no point in doing searches or survey.

I suggest you leave you solicitor be for the moment and ask the agent what his client is playing at. And prepare yourself to look for another property.

Ivana_Tinkle

ValHaller wrote: »

I suggest you leave you solicitor be for the moment and ask the agent what his client is playing at. And prepare yourself to look for another property.

Agree with this, but also prepare yourself for the vendor coming back and saying that his side sent over the draft contract two months ago! If that happens then I'd recommend a strongly worded written complaint to your solicitor - it's amazing how quickly that can get things moving!

Thrugelmir

zeebee1 wrote: »

Now both of those things have been offered/done,

When?

As the vendor won't instruct their solicitor to lift a finger until they were in place.

Too many potential purchasers simply walk away. So no one wishes to waste time or money unneccessarily.