Sending money to solicitor without paperwork

ethranes

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying a property. Completion is due to be done on Monday the 3rd of September. I am doing a cash purchase. My solicitor has sent through the bill, including their costs, and property purchase price etc.

My question is that I have not signed anything yet at this point. I'd assumed by this point there would be some sort of signed documentation between the solicitor and I. Is this standard practice? I'm not well versed in these things.

Thanks.

ReadingTim

What does it matter that there isn't a signed contract? You've instructed them, they've done work for you, and are billing for it. To complete on the house, you need to pay them as well as the purchase price for the house, at which point the transaction is complete: the property is yours, and your relationship with the solicitor has come to an end.

I'm not sure of the value of pushing for a document which, in less than a week's time, will be of historical interest only.

PasturesNew

At best you'll get an initial letter .... but no contract as such.

They've been writing to you and sending you stuff, you've written back... that's it for most of the time.

No need for a "contract" at all.

The paper trail speaks for itself....

da_rule

They should have sent you a letter/email when you first instructed them and by continuing to use them you have bound yourself to what ever terms were included in this. It is rare for their to be formally signed contracts in these sorts of run of the mill transactions.

You approached them, they told you what their terms and costs were, you decided to use them, contract complete.

Margot123

Do you mean you haven't had the purchase contract and TR1 through to sign?

When you get the completion statement, you need to pay the solicitor's fee and the purchase price of the property at the same time.

ethranes

Thanks for the input, I sent the money over by chaps today, and the solicitor sent me back details on factoring costs, building insurances switching over to my name etc, so think all is on track. Was just a bit nervous doing such a large transaction.