Changing Solicitor

Cardew

Not sure if this is the correct forum but there doesn't seem to be a forum dealing with general legal matters.


For some 30 years the legal affairs of my wife and I were handled by a solicitor, who was a personal friend, and a senior partner in a small practice. This solicitor has recently died.

His practice had been merged with a larger firm, and subsequently that firm has been merged(taken over) by a large National group. I know my friend did not want the firm taken over as he feared it would lose its identity as a trusted local firm.


The original firm held the deeds of our house for 26 years and copies of our wills, which I assume the latest firm hold. They have made no charge for holding these documents. Apart from a change in our wills there have been no dealings for 13 years

Over the years my friend dealt with several issues for me, one of which was particularly sensitive.

Not that I have had any dealings with this new firm personally, albeit a friend was horrified at their charges, however I wish to leave this firm and use another local solicitor. This new solicitor will, initially, just have copies of our will and the deeds of our house. The paperwork for the other issues will be destroyed.

Obviously I can take the deeds and wills, My question is what other paperwork can I remove from the present solicitor and are there any other implications of which I should be aware?

davidmcn

What other paperwork do you think they are archiving for you? You're entitled to everything they have, including files, but if the last work was 13 years ago it's likely that they'll have destroyed correspondence files.

G_M

Write to the firm and request that they send you all original documents they hold, and any copies as well.

Thank them for their services over the years and express your regret that you will no longer be using their services.

Buy a small fire-proof safe and put your will and conveyancing documents/deeds in it.

Is your property Registered? If yes, the Land Registry holds the Title electronically. If no, you could consider voluntary registration.

If /when you need legal assistance, that is the time to look around and select a solicitor experienced in whichever area of the law it concerns.

Cardew

davidmcn wrote: »

What other paperwork do you think they are archiving for you? You're entitled to everything they have, including files, but if the last work was 13 years ago it's likely that they'll have destroyed correspondence files.

I don't know what paperwork they hold as I don't know their policy for weeding out and destroying old correspondence.


However the new firm recently wrote to my wife introducing themselves and saying they had assisted her in the past. That was a minor matter about a relative's will that dates back to 1994. So that correspondence is obviously still held.


They haven't written to me at all.