Help! Solicitor help! Moving home

[Thirtiesclub]

I'm hoping someone can help as im at my wits end.

We are in a 3 way chain, im selling my place, bf selling his and we are buying together.

Mine has been going through since oct with an original expected completion date of 01/02 We still haven't even exchanged. There is only one outstanding query which we are trying to sort out now.

My bf had a buyer who dropped out, weve since found a new one (couple weeks back) who is using the same solicitor as previous buyer to help speed up as all searches and enquiries were done so she is using those. She also has her official mortgage offer back. I should mention his is shared ownership so a 28day completion period is required (but not strict)

The new house is "ready to report on" so our solicitor says.

I have just emailed my solicitor to ask can we exchange by 12th feb (on all 3) to complete by 26th feb.

My solicitor is soooo slow and laid back and doesnt push at all. I just know this date wont happen. He moves at snail pace.
I really dont want to go over his head (especially as hes a partner) but is there something i can do to ensure this date is adhered to? Some sort of legal approach?

We dont want this to go into March its taken a bloody age.

Any ideas welcome thank you

If you have a useless solicitor, give him one warning and then go somewhere else. There's no point complaining if he is the partner. Don't email, get on the phone. You are paying.

Our sale and purchase was just twenty minutes from falling through thanks to an utterly incompetent firm at the bottom of the chain.

I was so very, very stressed.

If they're useless, give them an ultimatum but accept that everyone is trying to push through before the stamp duty cut off, and most solicitors don't seem to do much until the very end of the process.

We are in a similar situation, and also have the added stress of a very poorly MIL in hospital atm. So having a very stressful time.

Our buyers solicitor, well their are no words to describe, how shocking he is. But far too far down the line now for our purchasers to change, so we are well & truly stuck.

Still haven’t exchanged, house 2/3 packed up, I am so bloody fed up.

Said to DH this morning let’s pull out, he is prepared to give it another week. We shall see what happens.

Handhold OP, I know how truly shit it is.

Are you tying in both your sales with the purchase? If so, then presumably they can't go too fast on your sale if your BF's place if further behind (as new buyer only instructed a couple of weeks ago). What precisely is the one outstanding query?

Are any of the properties leasehold? Is so, this is a typical timescale.

Solicitors are under immense pressure to meet the stamp duty holiday and may have 100s of clients on their books at the current time. If you are using a factory style firm, don't expect much contact unless they need to contact you.

Have you spoken to the estate agent? It is in their interest too to chivvy the solicitor along. Essentially you and they need to be annoying enough that he wants you off his books. Until the outstanding query is resolved though there is not much anyone can do so they probably won't set a date until there is a resolution.

You are paying for their service don't forget! Be a squeaky wheel!! They will soon get you sorted.