Change solicitor mid sale?

bylromarha

Is it possible to do?

Not at all happy with the speed ours is going at (10 working days to turn around 1 document). We have a cash buyer for our house sale- offer accepted 14th November and solicitor appointed the same day. Sale should have been completed before Christmas, but hasn't.

OH has just been given a flea in his ear from the solicitor for ringing to ask why the latest piece of paper was taking so long. Solicitor is now banning our incoming calls in order that they can do the work (we've rung twice in 2 days...wouldn't have had to ring again today if they'd sent the letter yesterday like we were promised in the phone call). Vile attitude towards OH. Not at all necessary, especially since OH was as polite and professional on the phone as always.

So can we swap? The paper we're waiting for them to send out is our responses to the buyers enquiries - we're that close, but know it's going to take far longer with this shambles to do than with a normal firm. All the while we're paying rent and the mortgage + council tax on the empty property which should have been sold already.

And FWIW - don't use Chartahouse. We were swayed by wanting online tracking as we'd had it before and found it useful, but the online tracking is rubbish with Chartahouse. Hardly updated and you can't view documents produced. Much better to use Fidler and Pepper who post docs online and text/email to tell you the file has been updated with anything.

SmlSave

You can change the solicitor whenever you like. Inform your current sols and tell them to send their file to the new sols. and of course instruct the new sols.

Thrugelmir

bylromarha wrote: »

Not at all necessary, especially since OH was as polite and professional on the phone as always.

Constantly ringing causes disruption. There's only so many hours in a working day.

ACG

You can change but you may have to pay for work done so far. You may find it slows things down.

Personally i would just get in touch and ask what the complaints process is, which govt organisation do you complain to... it might give them a kick up the backside.

bylromarha

Hubby is concerned that it might spook the buyer if we change. I think if we ask estate agent to let the buyer know why we're changing - their solicitor will tell them how long things are taking to get back to them - that they buyer should be okay. I'd be fine with the change of solicitor, but hubby wouldn't be.

G_M

Of course yu can swop.

But bear in mind that this will

* leave you with a bill for the work done to date PLUS a bill from the new solicitors who will want to check everything done to date
* slow things down (since new sols will need to check everything
* disturb your buyers
* cause potential fo 'lost' letters from mortgage lender, estte agent etc as they grapple with the change, causing further delay

You must balance those factors against the desire to swop.....

Goldiegirl

If you've applied for a mortgage, you'll need an amended offer of mortgage, so the new solicitor can be instructed

bylromarha

G_M wrote: »

Of course yu can swop.

But bear in mind that this will

* leave you with a bill for the work done to date PLUS a bill from the new solicitors who will want to check everything done to date
* slow things down (since new sols will need to check everything
* disturb your buyers
* cause potential fo 'lost' letters from mortgage lender, estte agent etc as they grapple with the change, causing further delay

You must balance those factors against the desire to swop.....

Extra bill likely to be less than another month of extra mortgage payments + council tax on an empty house.

If the sale went any slower it would stop. We had an offer accepted on our onward purchase 3 weeks after our sale was agreed. We're ready to talk exchange dates on our purchase. Have asked for a quote for work to completion on the sale for the solicitors handling our purchase.

It is a cash buyer buying our house. We're in rented, so there is no onward chain. We're in week 10 since we appointed them. :eek: And still no talk of exchange dates.

G_M

Yes, OK - current people are slow. So let's say another month of delay and cost of mortgage payments.

But the delay caused by changing is likely to result in an equal delay + cost of mortgage payments..

Actually no one, not you, me or either the ol/new conveyancers, can say how much longer the old people will take, or what exact delay will be added by the switch, but we can say it will result in extra costs.

Plus it may make you feel good by feeling as if you are more 'in control' by instigating the switch......

ethank

It took mine two weeks to get the draft sales contract out, we had queries between 4-6 weeks and exchanged at 8 weeks. It is slow, it takes time, even for a cash buy!