Why should a solicitor act in your best interests?

Othmas

I’m aware that some of you will view this question as stupid etc. I don’t work in the legal field so I don’t have much experience. Is it 100% for certain that a solicitor will act in your best interests? I ask because whenever I ask my solicitor any question at all, he talks to me as if I’m some charity case and he’s working pro bono. If I ask, ever so kindly, for a brief explanation of a long legal paragraph, he’ll respond with another long paragraph of more legal jargon. I once called him and he answered the phone without a response and when I introduced myself, he just said “yeah.......?”  . I know that you should leave solicitors alone, and I have done for this entire process. I have only asked him more questions very recently (5 months after instruction). I’m a professional myself, with a more respected job than a lawyer if I may boast, so being talked down to is shocking and embarrassing. I am aware of the pressures that he must be under, but we are all under extreme pressure every day at work.  

 I worry that he can easily flip* me over with this property purchase as there are quite a few challenges so far. I found this solicitor (well his boss actually, but she’s been unwell so all work directed to him) from personal recommendation and they’re very well rated and “award winning” in the field. 

Is there anything to safeguard me from this, as it’s not like I’d know any better if something that wasn’t supposed to happen/be approved, did. 

*can’t type the word but it rhymes with puck

davidmcn

Being a bit off-hand in their dealings with you is (possibly) an example of poor customer service, but it doesn't mean that their advice or assistance isn't in your best interests. They could be very polite etc and still be utterly negligent in what they've actually done for you. If they are negligent, then they're liable to you for their losses. If the service is poor, you can complain about that too.

caprikid1

" I’m a professional myself, with a more respected job than a lawyer if I may boast"
If that attitude comes over when you talk to him then it probably explains why he does not want to talk to you / is a bit off with you.

moneysavinghero

No, there is no 100% guarantee that they will always act in your best interests. As with most humans they will normally act for their own best interests. But as David has said if they make too big of a boo boo then there are risks to themselves (not just being liable for losses, but also in answering to the regulators), so in some degree acting in your best interests is also acting in their own best interests.

Thrugelmir

If a solicitor is working in your best interest. Then they won't be wasting chargeable time in discussing with you matters for which there's no actual need. As you would certainly be upset at that when the bill is presented for payment. 

Othmas

caprikid1 said:

" I’m a professional myself, with a more respected job than a lawyer if I may boast"
If that attitude comes over when you talk to him then it probably explains why he does not want to talk to you / is a bit off with you.

This attitude has definitely come over after 5 months of being talked to like s**t, I will admit. I won’t take it anymore. At first I was addressed as “listen darling” and other terms that aren’t professional or even respectful. So yes, I’m a bit of !!!!!! now. 

princeofpounds

Conveyancing solicitors have bad reputation when it comes to communication. You see it all the time on the board here.

The basic problem is that there is little incentive for them to be good at it. They (usually) get paid for volume, not service. Every moment handholding a client is lost money to them.

Of course there are other things going on. In a guild-like profession like law, the more jargon is used to make the job seem difficult to the layman, the better.

The nature of the work doesn't help either - typically there is a bunch of information gathering, which takes time as it relies on third parties that the solicitor has little control over. There are several parallel tracks of information and the whole process goes at the pace of the slowest. The solicitor probably only looks seriously at the file around the time of making enquiries and around the time the file is complete. Maybe 4-5 hours over 3-4 months of the process. They never like to make this clear to clients and so are often evasive until they are at a point where they are ready to talk.

Nor does the timeline interest them that much. The transaction will complete eventually, and it won't affect their revenue if it takes two month or five. 

Nor are they expecting you to come back with repeat business all that quickly.

Etc. etc.

You can always make a formal complaint if you like, and can clearly describe your grounds. It doesn't often do much for you, but it can be registered internally and some practices will care. However best not to do it whilst the transaction is ongoing.

Or, you can just post reviews online when it's all done.