Can we sack our solicitor 3 weeks before exchange?

[SushiAtTheSeaside]

We chose our solicitor via local recommendations and are very disappointed. We send queries and requests for updates and get inadequate or no answers back. Today we asked some specific questions about the status of the sellers' recent gas and electric inspections and he simply sent us a bunch of attachments that the seller's solicitor sent him a month ago. I've come to the conclusion that he's semi-retired and not very committed anymore despite past glowing recommendations.

We're at the point where all searches, except local searches have come back. So we're hopefully just a few weeks from exchange and then completion in late August.

Is it worth changing solicitors at this point? Is it possible?

Why not?

I appreciate all the helpful insight, so thank you to everyone who has commented constructively. It's been good to hear that we're not the only ones who've had this experience.

As I said, we're FTBs. We spoke with the solicitor before instructing him, he explained the process and he said he'd be sending us updates about the searches as he received them and we could then let him know if there was anything we wanted more information about. This is what he said. So that is what we expected.

My point is that he has been very uncommunicative. When we ask for updates (which has been maybe 2-3 times in the past 2 months), we usually get no answer and when the sellers' solicitor has asked about status, he hasn't answered them either. We have asked if he has issues or queries on any of the searches that have come back and he hasn't answered. That has not given us much confidence. We feel a bit in the dark about where the process is and whether we're on track to make our targeted exchange and closing dates. But I'm repeating myself.

At this point, we'll just hope for the best over the next few weeks.

It'll cost a lot and likely delay the purchase if you switch now as the new solicitor will need to start all over again.
I'd just be patient if you can.

Yes, that's the plan now. Fingers crossed! Thank you.