My solicitor treats me like an idiot!

Windsorcastle

I'm selling a property at the moment. I spoke to the solicitor briefly twice before I instructed her - she didn't seem warm and friendly but sounded efficient and I know she's very experienced 20years+.

However, the couple of times I have emailed her queries, she has either completely ignored them or responded with a one-line email a day or so later.

I rang her this morning to see if she can chase up my buyer's solicitor to do their searches, as we are still waiting for a survey to be scheduled after the sale was agreed 1 month ago.

She was obviously unimpressed at being interrupted, audibly sighed at my question, told me that 'Friday is actually a very busy day with completions' as though I was naughty child, and then said, "It's the EA's job to chase the chain, not mine".

Am I being over-sensitive or is this the normal way for conveyancing solicitors to speak to clients?

Other posters on this forum have told me before not to waste time with the EA and to ask my solicitor questions, but clearly she doesn't wnat to be bothered. After this morning, I feel a bit miffed and feel nervous about having to contact her about anything because she obviously has me down as a nuisance now!

kwmlondon

Having you down as a nuisance isn't a bad thing - she's going to try to get your stuff done rather than have to deal with your hassling her.

To be fair, Fridays are a hellish day for conveyancers. I just tried to call mine to hurry something along and got one of her colleagues who was polite and helpful (let me try and get hold of her, are you completing today? She's not answering, can I take a message) and to be fair my conveyancers has answered straight away on 4 out of 5 calls which is pretty good.

However, I needed to know something and just called the EAs and they were pretty helpful. However, the conveyancer works for ME. I pay her bills and she has a legal responsibility to me and me alone. The EA for the vendor works for the vendor and if they get something wrong then I've got no comeback.

If you need to know something I've generally gone to the EA for a quick answer, but my conveyancer for an answer I can put more trust in!

Does that make sense?

MysteryM

We exchanged recently, and between the EA and solicitors it was quite a smooth experiance.

I must have sent 20+ emails to the solicitors and she replied in full everytime with no problems.

I didn't however teach her how to do her job - i mearly asked for timescales on how long things were going to take, and then used the EA to put on pressure (as its a firm the EA uses a lot).

We exchanged in under 4 weeks on our purchase (repossession).

Blondygirl

The only thing keeping our sale & purchase together at the moment is the EA. We have the same agent for both our sale & the one we are buying so they have a lot riding on it. Our buyers are using Countrywide & are causing terrible problems at the moment, they are so usless. Everytime we try to exchange they come up with something else thats not sorted & no one ever gives you the same answer.

So personally i'd chase your EA & solisitor but be nice but keep pushing. Hope all goes well.

Windsorcastle

MysteryM wrote: »

We exchanged recently, and between the EA and solicitors it was quite a smooth experiance.

I must have sent 20+ emails to the solicitors and she replied in full everytime with no problems.

I didn't however teach her how to do her job - i mearly asked for timescales on how long things were going to take, and then used the EA to put on pressure (as its a firm the EA uses a lot).

We exchanged in under 4 weeks on our purchase (repossession).

Thanks MysteryM. Sounds like you had a good solicitor then! I wouldn't dream of telling an experienced conveyancer how to do her job, but I would just like a prompt response, even if it's just to say, "There is nothing further to report"!

Windsorcastle

Blondygirl wrote: »

So personally i'd chase your EA & solisitor but be nice but keep pushing. Hope all goes well.

Thanks Blondygirl. I haven't sold before so I'm still a little unsure of who does what and I don't want to be pestering the wrong person, but I do want to keep pushing politely, as you suggest!

Thanks for the kind response.

Windsorcastle

kwmlondon wrote: »

Having you down as a nuisance isn't a bad thing - she's going to try to get your stuff done rather than have to deal with your hassling her.

If you need to know something I've generally gone to the EA for a quick answer, but my conveyancer for an answer I can put more trust in!

Does that make sense?

Thanks Kwm. Yes that does make sense. I like the idea of her getting my stuff done to get rid of me if she thinks I'm a nuisance! I don't want to annoy her, but I do think that sometimes the solicitors deal with each other more promptly and seriously than they do with the EA; I just assume they have a professional protocol between them.

Mine now seems to be of the opinion that she's sent the draft contract and she's going to sit back now until she gets a signed contract back, and she's not keen to do anything else in between for her not inconsiderable fee (£1000). I don't want her to act as if she's doing me a favour!

ian103

we've brought and sold a few properties over the last 25 years and still use the same solicitor even though we are now 250 miles away.

he's always fairly prompt in replying, email is a technology too far so we fax or email his secretary for her to print off, its worked well for us in the recent past and we're now using him again.

we will chase him occasionally but normally everything is in hand but its good to get an update. if we think things stiring up we badger the estate agents as they get a big fee compared to the solicitor.

kwmlondon

Windsorcastle wrote: »

Thanks Kwm. Yes that does make sense. I like the idea of her getting my stuff done to get rid of me if she thinks I'm a nuisance! I don't want to annoy her, but I do think that sometimes the solicitors deal with each other more promptly and seriously than they do with the EA; I just assume they have a professional protocol between them.

Mine now seems to be of the opinion that she's sent the draft contract and she's going to sit back now until she gets a signed contract back, and she's not keen to do anything else in between for her not inconsiderable fee (£1000). I don't want her to act as if she's doing me a favour!

Well, it does sound like you've got a snotty one, that's for sure! However, it doesn't mean she's not competent, just that she's not that hot on the customer service front. As long as you're polite but keep on the case you'll be treated like a demanding but not unreasonable client and that's not a bad thing to be, all-in-all.

I fired my last conveyancers, and the current ones cost more but they came recommended. What with them knowing I won't take any nonsense, that if they mess me about word will get back to my financial advisor and the fact that after my last awful firm I'm pleased to be dealing with professionals, we're all rubbing along okay at the moment!

cattie

Fridays actually are the most busiest day for solicitors, so she wasn't fobbing you off there. Also, it is really the ea's job to do the liaising between solicitors & to keep them on their toes by chasing things etc. So I wouldn't take it personally.

Whenever I've sold & bought, the ea has always phoned me whenever they feel I need to get on to my solicitor to give them an elbow dig if they have felt that their calls to them have maybe not quite got the message across.

Some solicitors have a very brusque manner & others are more friendly seeming. As long as you are able to get to speak to the solicitor when you need to & don't get fobbed off by a receptionist & never get your calls returned, then I'd say you have no worries.

Windsorcastle

kwmlondon wrote: »

Well, it does sound like you've got a snotty one, that's for sure! However, it doesn't mean she's not competent, just that she's not that hot on the customer service front. As long as you're polite but keep on the case you'll be treated like a demanding but not unreasonable client and that's not a bad thing to be, all-in-all.

Thanks Kwm. Yes, I don't mind her being aloof as long as she's competent, that's what counts. Good luck with your sale as well.:)