Conveyancing: local solicitors vs online search - big difference in service?

[chrysanthamumm]

Just had offer accepted on house and looking for solicitor. Have contacted several local solicitors for quotes and also used an online search engine (reallymoving.com) which made several recommendations but all based nowhere near us. Inclination is to go for local firm, however, the fees quoted by these firms are MUCH more expensive (3-4x) than online quotes (both sets are quoting for fees separately to rest of charges involved).

Has anybody experience of using solicitors found online, or is the (hopefully) greater local knowledge and ease of access to somebody we could meet face to face worth paying a premium for? It's a fairly simple transaction - no chain.

Thanks in advance.

[raggedtrouseredphilanthropist]

I used online solicitors for the past move, and a local one for the one before. The greatest difference was cost - the online one was about £400 cheaper than the local one!!
BUT I did have a major panic, and it occurred to me they could run off with my house-sale money! So I checked them out with the law society to check they actually existed (and they did).
I was very pleased with my service with the online firm, and would use them again. Some things did take longer - eg I could not pop into their office to sign something, it had to be posted both ways instead. But we also did a lot of things electronically, which saved a lot of time.
hth

[chrysanthamumm]

Thanks very much, have decided to go for the online one (have checked with law society as well, thx for tip!) and take a gamble...