Solicitor on holiday

[OhGoodnessSake]

I'm the first to say everyone is allowed to go on holiday and it shouldn't be dictated.

We are nearing exchange of contracts on our purchase and sale. I emailed my solicitor for an update today, only to get a return email by a colleague who is covering her files whilst she is away on holiday. Is it still possible to exchange without my actual solicitor around? I have no idea when they are back either!

I feel all clients should have received an email informing them of these dates and who to contact if needed.

Yes it is, the same thing happened to me this week. I was a bit annoyed that she didnt let me know she was going away but everything still seems to be going snoothly without her.

Of course it is possible. You know who to contact as the colleague returned your message. Not sure what the issue is really. Your file is being covered, the transaction can proceed as normal.

I was just unsure if a different solicitor can exchange on her behalf! No major issue but would have been nice to been made aware.

Ultimately (not being rude I promise :-) ) you engage the law firm to do the conveyancing and they assign a fee earner to do the job

It would be good service to say 'I'm off on holiday etc etc on xyz day' ..... but.....

A lot of lawyers don't tell clients because if they did they would get so many emails and phone calls for 'last minute updates' that no work would be done for 2-3 days before they go away!

I generally sell/complete on around 5 properties a year, use the same 'large' law firm and generally have the same fee earner...... only in the last couple of years has she started keeping me abreast of when she is on holiday or taking days off for kids etc...... when she is off one of the other conveyancing fee earners steps in and because all is ISO these days basically they can get on with my file as if it were their own

As for the exchange/complete that is the end of the matter really and is pretty straight forward generally, some firms have a dedicated person that deals with the matter between the exchange and completion that is not your 'normal' fee earner

Hope that helps

..... and again didn't mean any of the above rudely

Agree with pp, if she's a conveyanced, she's probably got 100-150 files on the go at any one time. There is a "handover" session before any fee earner goes away where she'll have made notes and indicated what needs doing on certain files and when. Any transaction is not dependent on one particular solicitor, as pp says, you instruct the firm. Whilst its generally one solicitor / one team that you deal with for continuity, it can be different people.

If you send an email / telephone, you'll usually get an out of office response saying who is dealing with the file in her absence. If something happens without you prompting, the person she's handed over to will get in touch.

Any competent professional should be able to deal with a planned absence by delegation. I had a purchase complete with the designated solicitor off sick that day, all went through without a problem. As it should.

Sounds like yours have it covered.

Thanks everyone! Mind put at rest. And no DadSussex not taken as being rude, honest!