Solicitors - how does it work?

[hksi]

We are hoping to exchange late next week and complete the following Thurs. The contracts will reach our buyer's solicitor next Wed/Thurs. Is there anything that can be done beforehand so we can exchange as soon as they are back?? Don't know the ins and outs of how it works.....

All you can do is make sure that the contracts are ready, all queries have been resolved etc - it's then in the buyer's court how quickly they exchange. It depends how quickly they want to move and how much brinkmanship you are prepared to use otherwise.