Changing Solicitor

I'm in the process of buying a house. My solicitor has been an unpleasant and entirely unhelpful person since the beginning of the process. I've just phoned and found out that she has now gone on holiday for 2 weeks and has left someone else who clearly didn't have a clue what I was going on about in control in her absence. Having paid her £250 so far, with charges equating to about £2500 once the process is complete, what can I do? If I change solicitor I'll have to start all over again with them, and will lose my £250 (I assume.) It has been very complicated for a number of reasons and would be very difficult to now replace her and get someone else up to date with the ins and outs of what has happened or is going to happen.

Has she basically got me by the gonads?

I spoke to the bit*h yesterday and she didn't bother telling me she was off on holiday!

I'm in the process of buying a house. My solicitor has been an unpleasant and entirely unhelpful person since the beginning of the process. I've just phoned and found out that she has now gone on holiday for 2 weeks and has left someone else who clearly didn't have a clue what I was going on about in control in her absence. Having paid her £250 so far, with charges equating to about £2500 once the process is complete, what can I do? If I change solicitor I'll have to start all over again with them, and will lose my £250 (I assume.) It has been very complicated for a number of reasons and would be very difficult to now replace her and get someone else up to date with the ins and outs of what has happened or is going to happen.

 

Has she basically got me by the gonads?

 

I spoke to the bit*h yesterday and she didn't bother telling me she was off on holiday!

this

but it doesnt stop you complaining to her senior / practice partner. most firms have a very transparent complaints process if you feel hard done by

£2,500 for a household property? Wow, that must be, like, a £5M house * ? If that's the case, fair play, if not then I think you're being ripped off! I've recently sold two houses and the costs on both were around £500 and my solicitor was absolutely brilliant for both and I was surprised she kept to the original estimate as I thought there were times where she went beyond what I'd have expected for a standard sale.

And why do solicitors charge relating to the cost of the house you're buying / selling....

You could try the Legal Complaints Service or maybe advise your Solicitor first you are planning on doing so:

http://www.legalcomplaints.org.uk/home.page

I'm in the process of buying a house. My solicitor has been an unpleasant and entirely unhelpful person since the beginning of the process. I've just phoned and found out that she has now gone on holiday for 2 weeks and has left someone else who clearly didn't have a clue what I was going on about in control in her absence. Having paid her £250 so far, with charges equating to about £2500 once the process is complete, what can I do? If I change solicitor I'll have to start all over again with them, and will lose my £250 (I assume.) It has been very complicated for a number of reasons and would be very difficult to now replace her and get someone else up to date with the ins and outs of what has happened or is going to happen.

 

Has she basically got me by the gonads?

 

I spoke to the bit*h yesterday and she didn't bother telling me she was off on holiday!

Mine was £600 last year, although that was just buying, not selling as well. Whatever work she has done so far should be in a position to be taken over by someone else. Why not speak to another solicitor to find out if they are prepared to take it on. I used these guys and they were good, and theyre local to you http://www.odt.uk.com/

£2,500 for a household property? Wow, that must be, like, a £5M house * ? If that's the case, fair play, if not then I think you're being ripped off! I've recently sold two houses and the costs on both were around £500 and my solicitor was absolutely brilliant for both and I was surprised she kept to the original estimate as I thought there were times where she went beyond what I'd have expected for a standard sale.

 

And why do solicitors charge relating to the cost of the house you're buying / selling....

It's around £1000 for the solicitor and £1500 stamp duty.

Mine was £600 last year, although that was just buying, not selling as well. Whatever work she has done so far should be in a position to be taken over by someone else. Why not speak to another solicitor to find out if they are prepared to take it on. I used these guys and they were good, and theyre local to you http://www.odt.uk.com/

Thanks mate - I'm too scared to rock the boat at the moment in case it causes me to lose the property. Guess I'm pretty much stuck with them

Most solicitors can pick the ball up and run with it quickly.

I had a client recently who had to change solicitor - all done with the minimum of fuss - in fact the 'old' solicitor even did a handover at no extra charge.

Test the water - you may be surprised.

I generally find they're all the same. What they actually do is a piece of p*ss and they charge a fortune for it. Because it's so easy and they can do it with their eyes shut they become very arrogant and the rudeness that you mention is not uncommon, I think. I've had solicitors go off on holiday when I've bought houses, it makes no dfference. I suggest just grinning and bearing it and focus on getting your house the way you want it - there's enough things to get stressed about with a house without worrying about some f*ckwit solicitor.

I generally find they're all the same. What they actually do is a piece of p*ss and they charge a fortune for it. Because it's so easy and they can do it with their eyes shut they become very arrogant and the rudeness that you mention is not uncommon, I think. I've had solicitors go off on holiday when I've bought houses, it makes no dfference. I suggest just grinning and bearing it and focus on getting your house the way you want it - there's enough things to get stressed about with a house without worrying about some f*ckwit solicitor.

Thanks mate.

Too right! Got my survey done yesterday. £10,000 worth of work needs doing on the roof. I'm waiting on a quote from an electrician next week. Got to get a few more quotes but it looks like after spending money on solicitor fees, mortgage advisor fees, surveyor fees, that I'm going to have to drastically reduce my offer - which is going to throw a serious spanner in the works - particularly because it's a repossession company selling it and I can imagine they're going to be quite ignorant.

Thanks mate.

 

Too right! Got my survey done yesterday. £10,000 worth of work needs doing on the roof. I'm waiting on a quote from an electrician next week. Got to get a few more quotes but it looks like after spending money on solicitor fees, mortgage advisor fees, surveyor fees, that I'm going to have to drastically reduce my offer - which is going to throw a serious spanner in the works - particularly because it's a repossession company selling it and I can imagine they're going to be quite ignorant.

If you have to pull out, you have to pull out. These things happen, unfortunately. Better to lose out on £500 (or however much you've paid to date) than £10k+ further down the line when it ends up needing more work than the survey suggested - they can't see absolutely everything, so there's always an element of "caveat emptor".

I was going to buy a flat in Crystal Palace not so long ago, but the survey reported that there were significant structural deficiencies in the building which needed major underpinning work. I may well have pulled out of that deal had the estate agent not stitched me up before I got the chance...

Going for a new-build flat now, no such worries there!

If you have to pull out, you have to pull out. These things happen, unfortunately. Better to lose out on £500 (or however much you've paid to date) than £10k+ further down the line when it ends up needing more work than the survey suggested - they can't see absolutely everything, so there's always an element of "caveat emptor".

 

I was going to buy a flat in Crystal Palace not so long ago, but the survey reported that there were significant structural deficiencies in the building which needed major underpinning work. I may well have pulled out of that deal had the estate agent not stitched me up before I got the chance...

 

Going for a new-build flat now, no such worries there!

Indeed. No wonder so many people skip all this malarkey and just rent! As if being a first time buyer isn't hard enough.

I'm in the process of buying a house. My solicitor has been an unpleasant and entirely unhelpful person since the beginning of the process. I've just phoned and found out that she has now gone on holiday for 2 weeks and has left someone else who clearly didn't have a clue what I was going on about in control in her absence. Having paid her £250 so far, with charges equating to about £2500 once the process is complete, what can I do? If I change solicitor I'll have to start all over again with them, and will lose my £250 (I assume.) It has been very complicated for a number of reasons and would be very difficult to now replace her and get someone else up to date with the ins and outs of what has happened or is going to happen.

 

Has she basically got me by the gonads?

 

I spoke to the bit*h yesterday and she didn't bother telling me she was off on holiday!

Out of interest, which firm?

They're a small firm in Sussex - don't expect you would know them. Recommended by my friend! I'll be making my feelings known when she gets back, and if I'm as stressed then as I am now I think I'll do a good job of making sure she has a rubbish return from her holiday.