Can you claim to have a solicitor when you actually don’t?

[WhenWillItAllGetBetter]

Our neighbour has made false claims about us to our estate agent days before exchange. We’re desperately trying to sort this out but not looking too hopeful.
Her latest trick is to say she needs to show her solicitor everything, I’m nearly certain she doesn’t actually have a solicitor, what if anything can be done?

I don't understand is she saying she'd got a solicitor to take action on you?

I'm not sure what you mean tbh.

Whether she has a solicitor or not means nothing, she can just contact one if she wishes, she doesn't have to have one in place already.

But what is the actual problem?

Surely you only need to prove to your estate agent that the claims are false.

You are not obliged to supply your neighbour with any documentation.

I wouldn't engage at all unless you receive a letter from a solicitor about whatever the issue is.

People say that sort of pretentious shit all the time. As though they're wealthy/important enough to have a prominent legal firm on retainer and not just providing an easy few quid for a snotty letter for whoever showed up top on a google search.

I don't understand anything. Are you selling your property? Why is your neighbour making false claims about you to your agent? Does she not want you to sell?

Show her solicitor what?

You missed that bit out and it's very important to your post.

Not too much to go on,so I would start off by saying-do you have a solicitor?If so,say your solicitor will be in touch with their solicitor.If your neighbour insists you need to give then the documents/evidence,you know they are lying.

Solicitors don't live in a box that pop up when needed, If someone says this then I presume they will get one then

It is not some big conspiracy

They can say what they like.

Are they stymying your sale? Does what they say hold water? Have you disclosed this to your buyers?

(This is my area).

then use the confidentially clause and say can i have x details so i can get my solicitor etc to pass on the files to your solicitors etc, as from a legal point of view no documents are meant to be given person to person and instead its solicitor to solicitors etc

@WhenWillItAllGetBetter

Request for Information: If your neighbor refuses to provide solicitor details, you might insist on continuing the exchange through your solicitors only. This would force her to involve her solicitor genuinely or reveal the deceit.

We had this and we did take very second hand second hand legal advice. Ie. You do not want to have taken recordable legal advice.

Basically you only have to declare active and historical recorded disputes. If your neighbour is causing some shit it is best not to engage. If you are engaging it’s best to agree, because then it’s not a dispute. You do not want to use solicitors or have solicitors. But if you can use or have solicitors without having or using solicitors then definitely do!! I’m hoping that makes sense.

You’re going to have to be specific about what they are saying if you want good advice on here about how to actually get around this.

Surely you don't have to be wealthy/important to have a solicitor? I have one, I've had them for years, and I am neither wealthy nor important.

Whether she has instructed a solicitor or not, is kind of irrelevant

It'd take a very short time to find a solicitor and instruct, so I'd take your neighbour seriously

Why does your neighbour need (or think she needs) a solicitor?

By ‘have a solicitor’ do you just mean that you have a solicitor you tend to use when you need one?

Very few people (that I know) have a solicitor on a monthly retainer.

I'm assuming this poster means they know a solicitor who they've used previously and would instruct in the future, should the need arise

I tend to shop around for legal advice (that has worked for me in the past with wills and probates)

If her claims are false what does it matter if she has or goes and gets a solicitor? It will be proven the claims are false case closed…. Surely?

Sorry I was a bit a vague last night.

The claims are to do with things with consent about work we have done years ago which had effected her property. Eg we’ve put waterproof membrane on her parapet wall which benefits us both. She verbally consented and thanked us at the time but now denies this. With hindsight we should have got written consent.

We’re trying very hard to appease her so we can demonstrate to our buyers there isn’t an ongoing dispute. We’ve said we’ll take actions like remove the membrane- we’ve written a letter to set out what we’ll do and to say there are no further disputes between our houses. She is now saying her solicitor doesn’t like the letter she won’t sign it. I have asked several times for her solicitor’s details so that our solicitors can sort this out but she is refusing, my question is is there any way I can force her to disclose the solicitor?

I think it would be best not to engage directly with her anymore but we’re also so desperate to make it go away and not spoke the buyers

When I say our solicitor I mean the conveyancing solicitor dealing with our house sale

get your solicitor to write to her outlining whatever your solicitor needs to know. Your solicitor will likely add in a line at the end which says “please pass this to your solicitor if you have one”

To answer your question, yes, you can claim that you have a solicitor even if you don't, it's a lie, but it's not a crime.

Ask your solicitor to ask your buyer's solicitor about indemnities for the lack of consents she's complaining about. Is your neighbour really going to have membranes ripped out?

Who does he ask if she won’t tell us who this (fictitious) solicitor is?

We’ve asked about indemnity and I don’t think that’ll work here

Well yes, that was my point really. ‘I have a solicitor’ just tends to mean that there is a solicitor you usually use if you ever need to. Not that you have one on retainer.

Nailed it