What do solicitors do in a house sale ?

[littleoldme]

We are getting to sell our house. i accept that we probably need a solicitor but I'm not really sure why. What do they do exactly ?

Check that you own it. Help you to answer the questions from the buyers. Draft a contract which obliges you to sell and them to buy, and protects you if the buyers pull out after that at any stage. Draft a legally binding transfer which effectively does make the buyers the new owner. If your home is leasehold there are other complications. A good solicitor will also work well with the estate agents to smooth the chain along and keep you up to date. for example, they may say "there is no way your buyer will exchange tomorrow because the mortgage valuation hasn't been done".

If your home is mortgaged they will also act for the mortgagee in the sale. Are you asking the question because you are thinking about not using a solicitor and doing it yourself? You can, but TBH if it's mortgaged there's no point - the legal costs of acting for the mortgagee are almost the same as acting for both seller and mortgagee.

Don't use my solicitor...the last letter he sent had 3 typos / spelling mistakes, including my husband's name.

Secretary posts things to me when they need to be emailed to DH (he is abroad), contrary to instructions.

i need to explain things to him that he should know....

not sure what he does really. Hasn't exchanged contracts yet....

and by the way, I am a solicitor!

what fridayschild has said is correct
but go on recommendations as mum of222boys is sadly right