Plastering and old skirting boards

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Please can someone help me? We are doing somr of work on our new house ourselves..... and we are DIY virgins!!! We need to replace the skirting boards in the downstairs area. I've got a plasterer coming in on Tuesday but forgot to ask him whether the old skirting boards comes off before or after he plastered the walls?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I would have thought before. Then the the new skirting will sit on top of the new plaster.
Otherwise you could damage the plaster when you try to remove it and the wall won't be even where the new skirting has to sit.

Ive been enquiring about same and been advised that old skirting comes off, plaster/skim then attach new skirting.

Skirting off then plaster then new skirting on

Phew that lucky! We've already removed 60% of our skirting.

Thanks for your replies.