Solicitors. Solicitors everywhere!

TeaLeaf

I'm a FTB and my offer on a property was accepted a few days ago. It's a conventional house with no chain. Nobody I've spoken to expects there to be any major complications, but I'm hoping for a bit of advice before I instruct a solicitor.

The choice has been narrowed down to two:

Solicitor A supplied a fixed quote that is £100 cheaper than Solicitor B. But, they were recommended by the vendor's estate agents, which makes me incredibly wary.

Solicitor B is one that I approached independently. The £100 extra doesn't really bother me, it's just that a fixed fee is much easier to budget around. However, they're charging extra for completing the Stamp Duty Form, which I've been told is not good practice. The solicitor likely to be handling the work has only been a conveyancing solicitor for 18 months, compared to a decade for Solicitor A.

Would it be such a terrible mistake to go for the EA recommended solicitor? Is the Stamp Duty paperwork and less-experienced solicitor a red flag? I looked at the Law Society website and checked for reviews, and they both seem decent firms.

Thank you for any advice you can give - even to tell me I'm overthinking this

marksoton

Both would be a flag for me, particularly the EA one.

I'd try and get a recommendation elsewhere from friends and family.

TeaLeaf

Oh dear. The second solicitors was a recommendation from someone who has used the firm for years (not for property). Unfortunately there isn't anyone who can provide any other recommendations.

G_M

walk down your high street and go into 3 solicitors offices. Ask to see a solicitor for a conveyancing quote.

If you get a secretary, admin clerk or similar, forget it. If you get a conveyancing solicitor, chat and decide if you feel confidant. Explain about property (freehold or leasehold? Which local authority? Mortgage lender?) and get a written quote.

Take all the quotes home and compare carefully, looking for 'extras' (eg on the SDLT return).

Choose based on price and confidance factor.

Read also:

http://www.theadvisory.co.uk/conveyancing-quote.php

matttye

Bear in mind also that the less experienced solicitor most likely has supervisory support if they need it.

Solicitors can be liable in negligence for incorrect advice so it's not in their interest to get things wrong.

davidmcn

TeaLeaf wrote: »

they're charging extra for completing the Stamp Duty Form, which I've been told is not good practice.

It's pretty common practice, and if they're upfront about it in their fee quote I wouldn't say it's indicative of anything likely to be a problem.

The solicitor likely to be handling the work has only been a conveyancing solicitor for 18 months, compared to a decade for Solicitor A.

Speaking as a conveyancing solicitor who has been both 18 months and a decade qualified, I would say 18 months is absolutely fine, particularly for a standard transaction. I presume they're in a firm where they can call upon assistance if they ever felt out of their depth. Possibly preferable to the 10 yr qualified one who might be delegating work to colleagues and/or taking on too many cases in order to justify their higher salary.

bobobski

TeaLeaf wrote: »

Oh dear. The second solicitors was a recommendation from someone who has used the firm for years (not for property). Unfortunately there isn't anyone who can provide any other recommendations.

Recommending a firm based on no property experience by your friends is like recommending a Smart car for its boot space based on its environmental impact. Why would you even consider this recommendation? If the solicitor is the same, forget it, you want a property solicitor; if the solicitor is different (and I would hope so), then the recommendation is worthless.

knightstyle

Big question is who will you be dealing with in both cases? Often the Estate Agents "solicitor" turns out to be a not very clever, conveyancer.
As others have said go to a local solicitor, walk in and ask for a price. You will get a good idea of their attitude.
Why not tell us where you are buying and someone on here may recommend, however do not instruct anyone unless you have been to their office to get an impression.

Prothet_of_Doom

I recently used the solicitors firm that my father in law used in 1970 to move house, and in 1998 to write his will, and whose father in law used in 1972 to move house, and whose mother in law used in 1974 to handle the will of her husband, and whose also executed her will in 1995.
Quite frankly they were useless. But local.

G_M

You could always complete the SDLT form yourself of course.

TeaLeaf

Thanks everyone for your replies.

The house is in Nottingham, if anyone has any solicitor recommendations/warnings.