Bloody Solicitors!

3 replies

noddyholder · 04/04/2006 17:39

OK We are moving and it has been so drawn out but now our buyers have exchanged on their sale and will rent in the short term All paperwork is done at the solicitors but they aren't returning calls and I want an answer to when we complete etc.What can I do?Can I force them to name a date for us to exchange on both sale and purchase or do I have to keep waiting and everyone getting very impatient!

OP posts:

sunnydelight · 04/04/2006 20:44

Just wanted to send sympathy! We had a nightmare with a firm of solicitors not a million miles from where you - turned out the guy handling our sale wasn't qualified, made a complete b*s of it then left the firm. In terms of what you can do - when our guy wouldn't return my calls I asked the receptionist if they had anyone else dealing with conveyencing; when the response was yes I said that if the person doing our work didn't return my call in an hour I wanted the file transferred to the other person by the end of the day and I would be making a complaint to the senior partner. Funnily enough he called back immediately! Conveyencing is pretty much the bottom rung of the ladder in terms of a legal career - it's real "bread and butter" stuff for a lot of firms who turn most of the work over to paralegals (at best) with a supervising solicitor. If threat don't work, show up in reception and insist on speaking to someone.

Kaz33 · 04/04/2006 20:49

I sympathise as a ex property solicitor - most solicitors are unorganised and over worked. Loads of low cost conveyancing gets passed on to trainees, legal execs and secretaries even.

What you have to do is phone up constantly. Leave a message or write a letter saying that if they don't get back to you within X period ie: 1 day with a complete update on whats going on you will complain to the managing partner.

The more stink that you kick up the more likely it is to be dealt with.

allyco · 04/04/2006 21:19

yes I agree as a conveyancing sol (mericfully on maternity leave now) although I wouldn't tar all secs/legal execs etc with same brush, some are brill. (my sec is although we both know exactly what she can and can't cope with). I've had lots o experience with "senior" solicitors on the other side who are absolutely crap and clearly have no idea what they are doing, but clients sometmes feel that if they have a partner /senior doing the work for them they will automatically be okay. Sadly not always.

I would however let them know you are def. not happy and make a big fuss.

Let us know how you get on?

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