what solicitor? recommendations needed on a good one!

ysoskint

i am after a solicitor for my move - I'm buying for £170k and selling for £124K.

After reading various sites, I'm so confused on who to use.

Has anyone used someone who is reasonably priced, and GOOD at their job?

Thanks

dmg24

Which area are you in?

ysoskint

Hello, I'm in Medway area, Kent.

Ivana_B_Rich

I've seen Abode praised highly on this thread.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=512859&highlight=abode

I haven't used them myself though. Hope this helps

www.abodeconveyancing.co.uk

Ivana_B_Rich

Also www.cheapcheapconveyancing.co.uk have been mentioned favourably in this thread.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=103499&highlight=abode


Good luck

livalicious

Hi ysoskint,

We used abode conveyancing who appointed Beaumont Legal as our solicitor. I would highly recommend them as I they kept me informed about any progress through case trace, emails and text messages. And when our house purchase fell through a few weeks ago, the solicitor wrote a letter to say they will hold our file till we find another house, and they havent charged us a penny. We also paid for searches upfront but instructed them not to do it until further notice, so now they will use those funds for the next purchase. I found their quote the most reasonable compared to others, and they do state that the price they quote is what you pay, no hidden extras.

Good luck with your move!

KeithT

I am sorry that I am not contributing a good recommendation, but I had a bad experience as a first time buyer with Fendom & Dawson Solicitors in High Wycombe. After I moved into my house, which was a freehold property, I found out that I was subject to annual common land maintenance payments. All the pre-exchange enquires had not been carried out. The previous owner had not cleared his payments, leaving me to sort this out. This was not discussed, nor did the solicitor transfer my name into the share of the common land. I raised this matter with the original solicitor, who did not respond.

I wrote in succession, over several weeks, to the client care partner and senior partner. This only earned me an aggressive telephone call from the solicitor who said he did not care, because he was the senior partner. To be honest, I would have given up then. Thankfully, the Citizens Advice Bureau gave me some advice, support and pointed me to the Law Society.

When a formal case file was opened by The Society for the Supervision of Solicitors, this firm admitted to “inadequate professional service”. The Law Society upheld my complaint, noting that the firm refused to apologise. They concluded that the firm provided a poor service in not dealing with the transfer of land and in not responding to my complaint.

The client care partner, whose name was heavily featured in a letter that was highly critical of the firm's client care, was careful to point out that he offered the admission of “poor service on behalf” of the original solicitor. This firm was asked to compensate me and they were told to carry out remedial action to correct their mistake.

Had the firm made some effort to address my complaint, the Law Society, which is commonly perceived to be on the side of the law firms, would not have supported me so fully. The Case Worker noted that he always preferred to resolve these matters by telephone rather than resorting to formal correspondence with the solicitor. It is an indictment of the firm, that the poor service has now been immortalised on formal correspondence involving the Law Society.

When I sold the house, I instructed P.W. Richards, who did a fantastic job.

Richard_Webster

Ivana_B_Rich wrote: »

Also www.cheapcheapconveyancing.co.uk have been mentioned favourably in this thread.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=103499&highlight=abode


Good luck

I have been critical of some firms who advertise apparently low fees and and then add lots of extras in - this lot seem to be going out of their way to assure you that there won't be anything of that nature, which is fair enough.

You do have to realise that they don't actually do the work but have a panel of solicitors to whom they refer the work in return for a fee.

My only comment would be that I'm somewhat surprised that firms find it economic to work for the fee levels quoted. Possibly some firms are prepared to do work at cost/loss in order to build up their profile and client base before edging up their fees.

Kizzy001

I used Burton Woolf & Turk for my first house purchase, they are based in London - Holborn. The solicitor who i dealt with was fantastic! My property had all sorts of problems, half the garden wasn't in the title, my solicitor sorted that out. The previous owner had done some internal work without building regs, my solicitor sorted it out, there were a few other things as well. but he kept me informed every step of the way, every letter he sent out he CC'd me in, so i knew everything.

he was a little bit more expensive they these compaines that churn out converyancing but well worth the money, i was happy and kept in the loop every step of the way. I recommend all my friends and family to them and all of them have been just as happy with his work.

ysoskint

On reading advice from this wonderful site. I went with Abode, who instructed me to use Beaumont Legal (estelle syms). I could not fault the service i received. The quote was brilliant (i brought and sold through them). Not once did i have a problem. All emails answered the same day or the next day (depending on what time i sent them). She even managed to get me to complete and exchange on the same day.

Very happy with the service.
I want to thank you all for your advice!

theGrinch

if you took out a mortgage, were you required to present yourself
at your solicitors? anyone to answer.