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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are all solicitors useless?

31 replies

BusyTaupeBiscuit · 23/09/2025 14:52

I'm a first time buyer and I'm purchasing a new build house in N. Ireland. The builder has said my completion date is this friday, in line with our current tenancy agreement.

I informed my solicitor of this on Sept 5th and received a reply that that was great news and then heard nothing for a further 17 days.

I emailed twice in the past week, I called the office twice yesterday and had no response until this morning. When he has now informed me that it won't be possible to complete as he has outstanding documents.

My main gripe is, why was this not communicated to me sooner? If I had known this last week I could've contacted the EA to chase. Myself and my partner have booked time off work to move as we were never told that the completion date was not possible. Family members have booked time off work, moving vans have been booked.

AIBU in thinking it's not normal to inform me the week of completion that we are missing documents?

OP posts:
TwoTuesday · 23/09/2025 18:10

BusyTaupeBiscuit · 23/09/2025 15:25

In NI completion and exchange happens on the same day

Show quote history

That must be incredibly stressful!

Stillshepersisted · 23/09/2025 18:21

Onceaweek09 · 23/09/2025 15:23

Absolutely 100% yes, they are utterly useless. And this is from direct experience of working with many, many solicitors (I work in property).

Edited

Not all solicitors work in conveyancing though, therefore it’s difficult to see how you could possibly be an authority on the effectiveness of solicitors across the profession because you ‘work in property’ (whatever that means).

Labradorlover987 · 23/09/2025 18:25

Onceaweek09 · 23/09/2025 15:23

Absolutely 100% yes, they are utterly useless. And this is from direct experience of working with many, many solicitors (I work in property).

Edited

Estate agent by any chance? Did you watch the bbc panorama documentary, what’s your opinion on conditional selling?!

Dissappearedupmyownarse · 23/09/2025 18:28

BusyTaupeBiscuit · 23/09/2025 14:52

I'm a first time buyer and I'm purchasing a new build house in N. Ireland. The builder has said my completion date is this friday, in line with our current tenancy agreement.

I informed my solicitor of this on Sept 5th and received a reply that that was great news and then heard nothing for a further 17 days.

I emailed twice in the past week, I called the office twice yesterday and had no response until this morning. When he has now informed me that it won't be possible to complete as he has outstanding documents.

My main gripe is, why was this not communicated to me sooner? If I had known this last week I could've contacted the EA to chase. Myself and my partner have booked time off work to move as we were never told that the completion date was not possible. Family members have booked time off work, moving vans have been booked.

AIBU in thinking it's not normal to inform me the week of completion that we are missing documents?

YEP.....!!!
Because they get paid regardless of the end result.

Your house sale falls through, they still get paid.
You get a shitty result in your divorce, they still get paid
You lose in your child arrangement order, they still get paid.

I have ended up (with more than one solicitors firm) proof reading and correcting vital details/anomalies within their documents that would have been catastrophic in the case if incorrect. Correcting spellings/typo's for them. Generally doing most of the donkey work for them and still getting charged £450/hrs +vat!

Can you see the common denominator here....???

Onceaweek09 · 23/09/2025 18:42

Labradorlover987 · 23/09/2025 18:25

Estate agent by any chance? Did you watch the bbc panorama documentary, what’s your opinion on conditional selling?!

Show quote history

Not an estate agent! Don’t get me started on them…

Rumbletumbley · 23/09/2025 19:07

What’s a transfer map?

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