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

alchemist.1

ognum wrote: »

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!

:rotfl:Bloody hell, i thought most people had full time jobs.

Prothet_of_Doom

Ah, the old "I'll guarantee that I'll do my best to try to achieve that date if at all possible, providing that nothing else is on top of my in pile, and thus preventing me working on it" promise.

I'd love it if they gave you a project plan, with a weekly update.

Chanes

That is quite poor, solicitor who do conveyancing sometimes belong to an organisation that stipulates the standard you can expect, we used one and they were fine. If the people you are using are members you can raise a complaint and it may help speed things up for you?

Shahni

Chanes wrote: »

That is quite poor, solicitor who do conveyancing sometimes belong to an organisation that stipulates the standard you can expect, we used one and they were fine. If the people you are using are members you can raise a complaint and it may help speed things up for you?

The legal ombudsman (assuming that's what you mean) won't investigate anything until you have exhausted the firm's own complaints procedure. The initial letter should set out the firm's complaints procedure and it should be available on request.

Sounds rough, OP. And definitely not normal. Good luck.

charlamine

Your not alone, we are in the same position! We found out today that our solicitor had been lying to us, sitting on our file and bumping it down the list as we are chain free and therefore deemed to not be as urgent.

It transpires that they took 3 weeks to send the pre enquires to buyers solicitor after I has responded, despite saying they had sent answers the next day, we asked them to send the answers again at the beginning of this week as the buyer couldn't locate them she said she had and yesterday she admitted she hadn't,

we are chain free in the sense we are renting in between but still have a purchase that is dependant on completion for deposit purposes at exchange stage which is a new build.

I am at a loss as we have been chasing every day this week, but if they are saying they have done stuff and they haven't what can we so! We are not. Ding impatient we are at 13 weeks now!!

Chanes

Shahni wrote: »

The legal ombudsman (assuming that's what you mean) won't investigate anything until you have exhausted the firm's own complaints procedure. The initial letter should set out the firm's complaints procedure and it should be available on request.

Sounds rough, OP. And definitely not normal. Good luck.

No, it is a professional body for conveyancing, I remember seeing the certificate on my solicitors wall.

Shahni

Chanes wrote: »

No, it is a professional body for conveyancing, I remember seeing the certificate on my solicitors wall.

The council of licenced conveyancers, perhaps? Or the law society's conveyancing quality scheme? They also wouldn't deal with it.

ognum

alchemist.1 wrote: »

:rotfl:Bloody hell, i thought most people had full time jobs.

The amount of money you will lose if you house purchase falls through is wotrth a day off work.

About 70% of 16-60 year olds are employed of those about 30% work part time. So many people are free to go and visit their solicitor in the day.