How do I find out which solictors I used to help purchase my house?

[fastliving]

This is going to sound really dumb, but bare with me!
I now solely own my home, but it was previously owned by my ex-h and myself.
(I bought him out of his share).
I am looking at extension plans and need to know about water drain plans etc which has lead me to realise I have no idea who handled the original sale.
I assume these were all done with the searches etc because I remember discussing with ex-h the cost of these.
Ex-h paid for everything at the time and I just transferred my 50% of the cost over up him. We do not communicate (not for several years, so I don't have his contact details).
Is there a way of finding out and getting to see copies of the searches etc?
I assume house deeds are kept online, are they kept with them now?
I have a copy of the old home buyers survey which is a very bland report, nothing in there which helps me.
Sorry for being so clueless, I really feel embarrassed as I don't think I've even forgotten, just that I was not interested in the paperwork - in my defence I was very ill and had a very busy and stressful job, whereas ex-h was self employed and had lots of time during the working day for admin, he was the king of admin and nothing else (couldn't resist a dig!)

Just google drainage search under the name of your water provider and order a new search? Probably cheaper than a solicitor would charge to look up the information for you!

Good luck with the extension.

You can access the land registry documents. The transfer (to you and ex) should be filed at the LR, and the details of the solicitors will be on there. Its quite easy to request copies.

Having said that, it may not help you. Depending on how long ago it was the solicitor may have destroyed the file. Solicitors tend to give the client the original papers now. Your ex should have handed over the title deeds and associated papers when you bought him out.

Were you the named client during the house purchase? If not the original solicitor won't even speak to you. I also doubt they would have kept any searches documents.

Just order a new one.

I would go to the water company and speak to them they don't always have accurate drawings though , so once you start digging you might find the drains are in a different position. Your local council building control will be able to help with any sort of build over.

If you bought more than 6 years ago they may have destroyed their papers anyway.

If they do still have the papers, they will charge you for finding them for you.

Also all that information can change - there was a big change a few years back (2012?2013?) where a lot of private drains became adopted and the property of the local water companies.

Just google for your local water and sewage companies then order new searches yourself.

Hi OP, the transfer deed at the Land Registry won't have the solicitors details on it. The application form will have done but very much doubt you'll have a copy of that as it isn't part is the records for the property. If you don't want to ask your ex for the name and don't have access to your old household files then you're better ordering a new drainage search and starting from there.

Thanks everyone, the original purchase was 10 years ago, so you are probably right the solicitors will have destroyed the files or given them to my ex.
He's moved house several times (including abroad) since we split up, so even if I could get hold of him he probably hasn't got the files anymore.
I'll contact the water company and get a new search, thanks again for your help.

Yes, get the new search done. When my son bought recently I did save to my computer (to help him) all the search results and we have as a family found it useful over the years to keep these things in hard copy and on computer but if you don't have them then as people say a new search is probably the best answer.

If the oiginal works required planning permission you might find your local council has plans. I think the plans relating to my house from even before I bought it in the 1990s are available via my local council.