Solicitor Location

sebadee

Hi All,

We just had an offer accepted on our first house, and are now looking to get solictors lined up. I have used the different comparison / rating based websites and the results are from all over the country.

Is it important to have a solicitor local to you or your potential new home? We are happy to do everything over email, but I guess at some point we will need to physically go into the solicitors office to sign papers?

Total newbie here, so thanks in advance!

Surrey_EA

No need to physically visit the office of your solicitor any longer, they can post any relevant documents to you, which you can sign and return to them.

Personally, I would always prefer to use a locally based solicitor, but it's by no means essential.

When comparing quotes, cheapest isn't always best. Given the amount of money you're likely to be spending on your purchase you want to have some decent legal representation acting on your behalf.

TBagpuss

It doesn't have to be local, but going local means that you *can* go in if you need to, for example, if any paperwork is needed urgently.

Also, a local solicitor is likely to be familiar with the agents and (if the seller is using a local solicitor) with them too, which can help keep things moving faster.

However you ;pick, I would recommend you pick an actual solicitor, not a big conveyancing 'farm', and make sure you know the name of the specific individual who will be dealing with you case, and that it will be the same person all the way through.

benjus

I used a proper brick & mortar firm of solicitors that I'd used in the past, based where I used to live (a long way from where I live now). The only issue is that you can't just pop in to sign something or show them some ID - you have to rely on the postal system for these things which adds a slight delay to the process (but not much in the overall scheme of things). However, telephone and email is fine for most of the process.

As mentioned previously, I'd definitely recommend using a proper firm of solicitors rather than some low-cost outfit. You need to know who is handling your case so that you can call them and discuss matters if necessary. The low-cost outfits aren't even always that cheap once you add the "extras" which a normal solicitor would include in their quote.

jjlandlord

Online or remote solicitors can cost half the price of a local one and there is usually not much difference.

Certainly, if the transaction is expected to be 'standard' it should not matter if your solicitor is local or not.
It's always best to get personal recommendations.

eddddy

As others suggest, one reason to consider getting a solicitor from further afield is if you're in a high cost area.

I use a solicitor firm that's 150 miles away, because their fee scale is lower than the ones around me (for equivalent work).

westv

Being local makes it easier for the ID requirements.

DaftyDuck

I'd buy using a local solicitor, one that knows the area, understands which agents are shifty... OK, the most shifty, knows the streets that routinely turn up subsidence or border issues, and might even know the house by sight. Selling, I'm much less fussed by location.

sebadee

wow, huge support with seven replies. a round of thanks are on me!

we will include local is a nice to have variable and make sure its not a 'churn them out' firm.

ambioni

make sure also if you're buying and selling across the border (england/scotland) that you use solicitors in both places....i.e. if you're selling in England and buying in Scotland you may need 2 solicitors to handle it properly...the law does differ quite markedly

Malmo

You'd be well advised to read [URL=" https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4767543this useful and informative MSE thread[/URL] on how to choose a conveyancing solicitor, before you do anything.

Then read this article to understand what "good" looks like for quotations and what to expect from a good quotation.