Losing faith in solicitor (or is this pretty normal?)

roje

22nd July: My solicitor emailed and said she now had the contract pack for my purchase following a delay of over a month (thanks to her not chasing it up, I had to chase it via seller's EA) and had applied for the searches for my purchase.

Today: I called up for an update and was told that 'your contract pack has arrived today so I will get the searches underway now.' I told her that she had told me over a week ago that she had the contract pack and had applied for the searches! She backtracked saying "oh yes, I've checked your file now, I'll get that sorted for you. The searches can take a while, though". She then said I needed to pay for the searches and I told her I'd already paid her for them on 20th June....so I'm doubtful she even had my file open?! I don't even know if she has yet applied for the searches from what she said.

My buyers are getting impatient and there is a risk they will pull out so I will have to leave soon, which would mean trying to find temporary holiday accommodation (with 4 kids and 3 pets ). The rest of the chain are waiting for me and want to complete on 20th August, the end of the chain are buying a new build with a 28 day completion condition attached which runs out that week.

My solicitor still has to get the results from the searches, go over the contract pack with me to raise any queries, send the queries, await responses etc. Can that even be done in 3 weeks?

Is there anything I can do myself to speed this up? I'm losing faith in my solicitor at the moment, I don't feel like I can trust what she's telling me any more and she has no sense of urgency, which is fine for an average purchase but not when someone is moving 180 miles away and has a new job starting on 1st Sept and 4 kids in tow who need to start new schools! I couldn't have made it any clearer from the outset how urgent the situation was, we could quite feasibly end up homeless here.

Can I chase the searches myself? How would I go about this?

csgohan4

name and shame


Is it EA solicitors?

roje

Yes it is the solicitors attached to my EA.

Surrey_EA

roje wrote: »

Yes it is the solicitors attached to my EA.

Countrywide?

roje

No, not countrywide (I used them for my first house purchase and it was a farce so said never again, but appear to have walked into a similar trap with a smaller company regardless).

libf

If she hasn't actually done anything yet and you have another firm who you know/have been told via recommendation will be quicker, then I would move your case elsewhere.

roje

I've paid for the searches now and she may have requested them, but I can't be sure?! She has the contract but doesn't want to look at it with me until the searches are returned.
I just don't know what to do, we've lost 6 weeks. I know this happens frequently but I was hoping that in my situation with the relocation and the urgency of timescales, they would be a bit more conscientious about things. Apparently not.

alchemist.1

roje wrote: »

I've paid for the searches now and she may have requested them, but I can't be sure?! She has the contract but doesn't want to look at it with me until the searches are returned.
I just don't know what to do, we've lost 6 weeks. I know this happens frequently but I was hoping that in my situation with the relocation and the urgency of timescales, they would be a bit more conscientious about things. Apparently not.

You're just another client of probably 150-200 she is dealing with. Did you agree timescales upfront and before instructing her?

ognum

When using a conveyancer first get a recommendation from people who have used them.

Next, establish how they like to be communicated with. Then use that form of communication to make contact at least weekly to ensure they are on track.

If they do not respond then phone, phone every hour until they take your call. Do this repeatedly until they understand you will not be fobbed off.

if they won't take your call go to the office and sit and wait until they will see you.

I do many sales and purchases, I always use the same solicitor having found one who understands me and I him. About six months ago I could not use him because the flat I was buying was already halfway through a lease extension which was being handled by him and he was therefore working for the seller. I had to use a different solicitor and I dropped out of the purchase after two months after being totally unable to work with the new solicitor.

Don't go with the cheapest!

Thrugelmir

roje wrote: »

(thanks to her not chasing it up, I had to chase it via seller's EA)

Seller will have their own timescale as well. Chasing things incessantly doesn't make the process quicker.

roje

alchemist.1 wrote: »

You're just another client of probably 150-200 she is dealing with. Did you agree timescales upfront and before instructing her?

Yes. She was aware it needed to be completed by a deadline due to the relocation. Obviously no firm can guarantee this but it's just the unprofessional way it has been handled...I never get a reply to my emails, I can normally get through on the phone but it often seems pointless as she just makes the right noises and tells me she can't tell me anything yet. I do appreciate that it's all a bit 'how long's a piece of string?' at times but I just wanted to deal with someone who could speak to me honestly. I'm not asking for a commitment to a date if it's not possible to say but just 'there's still a good chance we can sort this out' or 'it's not looking likely now, it might be time to get something arranged' would be helpful. The vendor's solicitor and EA have been more helpful and easy to talk to and haven't treated the process with such a cloak and dagger approach.

The firm were recommended to me and were already dealing with my sale (which they were dealing with efficiently, although that has mostly been the estate agents). I assumed that it would be easier to instruct them for the purchase.

Thrugelmir: That is true, as we are currently stringing things out with our poor buyers in the hope it can be linked! However in this case, the seller's solicitor just needed a prod I think. The seller is keen to move on and his solicitor is working towards the completion date of 20th Aug, as are the rest of the chain, but I really can't see it happening now. I hope that I'm wrong.

I'm not normally an unreasonable type and have deliberately not named the firm or included details of other, more specific, complaints as I don't want to slate anyone. I realise that these things can take time, I wasn't expecting a six week turnaround and I know that I'm not their only customer, but they are not a cheap firm and I expected more I suppose. I never want to move again