Solicitor Fees

babyblade41

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Indeed ...



Every piece of work undertaken is chargeable. Even phone calls are chargeable time.

ditto this ,it's why I use emails rather than calls, although I'm sure they have word counters on their email and charge accordingly

although a good solicitor is like gold especially in property and I have used mine now for 30 years

Comms69

Sophies_Mum_14 wrote: »

Sorry just realised that was full of spelling mistakes. I am a rookie with this and also with selling houses (first time). £300 seems high for sending me what effectively looks like a standard document with my name and address pasted in (probably underestimating the work involved)

Some might say £700 for a phone is high.


Solicitors charge between £2-300 per hour.




The really important point is to remember that you're arguing with people who's job it is to know the law...

Tiglet2

You obtained quotes in October for conveyancing work. You asked how to instruct them. They said to pass their details on to the vendor's estate agents, which you did. Exactly when did you ask them to stop work? Although you may have received nothing from them, work may have taken place with third parties, for example:

On your Sale:
1. Initial letter sent to Estate Agent and Other side solicitor
2. Obtaining initial funds from you so they can start drafting contracts.
3. Obtain title documents from Land Registry.
4. Check your identification documents
5. Obtain the EPC either from the Estate Agent or downloaded from the EPC website
6. Once they have sufficient information, they send the draft contracts to the buyer's solicitor. The buyers solicitor may have sent several chaser letters/emails if the draft contracts are not sent straight away.
7. The buyer's solicitor reviews the information provided and starts to raise initial enquiries with your solicitor.

On your Purchase:
1. Initial letter to the Vendor's solicitor.
2. Wait for draft contracts to be forwarded to them by the Vendor's solicitor. Could involve several chaser letters/emails if the draft contracts are not received straight away.
3. Obtain funds from you to pay for searches - if you are getting a mortgage then some searches are compulsory.
4. Await mortgage offer, which will be reviewed once in.
5. Once draft contracts received, solicitor has to review the information provided and start to raise initial enquiries. More enquiries can be raised following receipt of mortgage offer and searches.

None of the above really involves much contact with you, but does necessitate doing work on your behalf. By all means, challenge their charges but just because you think they haven't done any work, doesn't mean they haven't done any work. Also, if you want to disinstruct or hold off the solicitor from working on your case, it is advisable to do this in writing. Phone calls mean nothing if it wasn't noted on your file.

Sophies_Mum_14

Update- I have paid this now. Was worth a shot...