solicitors not returning calls or emails.

hells_bells

I have left three messages with my solicitor over two days to get back to me and they haven't bothered. This isn't the first time either. We are supposed to be exchanging on Friday and I don't have a clue what is going on.
Everyone I speak too says it has happened to them and seems to be common practice for solicitors not to bother replying or getting back to you.
Is this just how all solicitors work?

kiddakidda

Do you live local, could you call in?

Send him/her an urgent email requesting a call back. set a delivery and read receipt in the email settings. Phone at least 3 times a day, each time requesting a call back or a time when he/she will be free.

It may annoy them but you need to know what's going on, even if there is no news.

hells_bells

yes I do live local I think I will have to pop in. I cant take this anymore.

kiddakidda

hells_bells wrote: »

yes I do live local I think I will have to pop in. I cant take this anymore.

That's the spirit

Let us know how you get on.

Loopy28

I would definitely go in.

The original solicitor I appointed didn't reply to any of my contacts for 2 weeks at a time, luckily I hadn't been with them long so changed to another.

My current solicitor is great, emails back the same day but they aren't a no move no fee conveyancer so probably aren't as busy.

ruggedtoast

I used Brown's for my first purchase, that fell through and wasn't totally happy with them, so I changed to a local one I could go into for the second one, and realised how good I had had it with Browns.

I would generally get one reply to one email 24 hours after I had sent it. My solicitor's phone automatically went to voicemail almost every time I called her. She would call me back at some point that day and if I didn't get to the phone in time that was me out of luck. Straight to voicemail if I called back, even a few seconds later. Diverting to reception and I would be told she was in a meeting or out of the office, even less than 30 seconds after I missed her call.

When we completed I found out from the EA, as she couldn't be bothered to call me to let me know. I'd actually been a homeowner for over an hour when the EA called to offer congratulations, and seemed really confused that no one else had told me. The solicitor eventually called 2 hours after that to pass on the message.

This has reminded me that they still have the deeds in their safe ready for when I use them again, which is never going to happen.

TBagpuss

hells_bells wrote: »

I have left three messages with my solicitor over two days to get back to me and they haven't bothered. This isn't the first time either. We are supposed to be exchanging on Friday and I don't have a clue what is going on.
Everyone I speak too says it has happened to them and seems to be common practice for solicitors not to bother replying or getting back to you.
Is this just how all solicitors work?

It's not how all solicitors work, but conveyancing tends (even in real solicitors forms) to be a high volume, high pressure type of work, so any lawyer dealing with it is likely to have very high volumes of e-mails and phones calls coming in.

3 messages over two days with no return is bad, however - it is not unreasonable to expect that you message be returned within 24 hours.

You may find it helps if you are specific - e.g. rather than saying "Can you tell me what is happening" say "can you confirm that we are still on track for exchange this friday?" or "Is there anything further you need from me or from the buyer in order for exchange to go ahead on Friday" - that way, it should be easier for them to leave you a message if they do call back and miss you.

mgarl10024

Mine was pretty good - very efficient.

Then she merged with a larger practice and since then has been useless. I emailed her several times. Then wrote to her. Then emailed her secretary who promised that she'd put my letter under my solicitor's nose. Still nothing.

I then tried a second practice who seemed just as disorganised.

I've yet to find a good one since.

linclass

Yep ... here too.... No end in sight for our purchase though, as a LPA needs to be in place before exchange. It was *suggested* at the start it might be advantageous to use a large practice with about 8 branches (in Lincolnshire) for the job as our vendors was also using them (a different branch). HOW I wish I hadn't listened! They don't often return calls, emails don't fare much better. ALL I ask is to be updated - even if nothing to update (!) so that I know they are all still alive and working for me. Hard to believe, but I'm getting MORE information from our vendor's Estate Agent!

LL

hells_bells

linclass wrote: »

Yep ... here too.... No end in sight for our purchase though, as a LPA needs to be in place before exchange. It was *suggested* at the start it might be advantageous to use a large practice with about 8 branches (in Lincolnshire) for the job as our vendors was also using them (a different branch). HOW I wish I hadn't listened! They don't often return calls, emails don't fare much better. ALL I ask is to be updated - even if nothing to update (!) so that I know they are all still alive and working for me. Hard to believe, but I'm getting MORE information from our vendor's Estate Agent!

LL

The same with us. Our vendor's estate agent has been a godsend and is really good. It's a pity I' m not paying him.


Well I went in there this morning and all the enquires are back and they are doing my final report and contracts today so should be with me tomorrow. So everything is still on for Friday. I still cant relax though until we have exchanged. Plus she said we have to go in the day before to sort everything out and they will be in touch with an appointment. Hmmmm lets hope they are!