What happens if a property solicitor is not responding?

Asked by: Mario Emard  |  Last update: October 12, 2022
Score: 4.4/5 (25 votes)

If your solicitor is not responding to you, you can use your estate agent to your advantage. It's the estate agent's job to keep an eye on the process, to ensure everything goes to plan and so if your solicitor isn't doing as they should, you can get your estate agent to contact them and find out what the problem is.

How long should you wait for a solicitor to reply?

After you have sent your letter to the solicitor, you wait at least 8 weeks to give the solicitor time to respond.

What to do if solicitors are taking too long?

What to do if the seller's solicitor is slow
  1. You can speak to the estate agent and ask them to chase the solicitor.
  2. You can speak to the sellers if you have direct contact with them. They can chase their own solicitors.
  3. Ask the seller to change solicitors.

Why do solicitors take so long to reply?

Many authorities are slow at responding as they have no vested interest in your sale, and there are other demands on them throughout their working day.

How often should I chase my solicitor?

So the amount you should chase depends where you are in the process. Never less than twice a week and at least daily by the end.

Why Are Solicitors So SLOW?! Top Tips to speed up conveyancing Solicitor Bushra Mohammed advice

33 related questions found

Can you sue solicitors for being slow?

Legal firms can be sued if they don't achieve a completion date that they've committed to, especially if the delay is because of their own error.

How long should solicitors take when buying a house?

Conveyancing can take anywhere between 8 and 12 weeks from when the sale is agreed. The time it takes to complete the conveyancing process will depend on whether you're buying or selling and if you're part of a property chain. The conveyancing solicitor you choose is also a vital factor.

Can I contact my buyers solicitor directly?

As far as your second question goes, it's not illegal to contact your vendors' solicitors directly but it is frowned upon, as solicitors generally prefer to communicate with each other rather than with each others' clients.

Why is conveyancing taking so long at the moment?

Conveyancing is often where most of the time is taken in the process, because it's complicated and paperwork has to be correct.

Why do solicitors take so long to process a house sale?

But, why do solicitors take so long to exchange contracts? The truth is there can be numerous reasons from them simply being bad at their job or having too many clients to handle, through to instructions from the seller, delays in obtaining searches, and even unresponsive buyers.

Can a solicitor ignore you?

What Should I Do If I'm Getting No Response? No Solicitor should outright ignore you, no matter how busy they are. While responses may be slightly more delayed than usual, you should still be getting a response from your Conveyancer.

What can delay exchange of contracts?

Common issues that can hold up exchange of contracts include: A seller who is slow to answer enquires from the buyer's solicitor. Buyers and sellers who are slow to provide required documentation or information. Solicitors who are working on several property sales at the same time.

What happens if you don't reply to a solicitors letter?

They may do nothing, or they may write another letter. However, if their intention is to issue court proceedings if no reply is received within the time limit, they should usually make this clear in the letter setting the time limit.

What can you do if your lawyer is not responsive UK?

You can complain to the Legal Ombudsman if your legal adviser doesn't respond to your complaint in 8 weeks or if you're unhappy with their response.

Do solicitors charge for emails?

For example, a short letter or email in or out is usually charged as 1 unit; 20 minutes work is charged as 4 units. This time recording method is the same as generally adopted throughout the solicitors' profession and is the only method permitted by most legal case management software systems including our own.

What is the average time for conveyancing?

Although it takes around 8-12 weeks to complete the average conveyancing transaction, there are many factors that affect the length of time between an offer being accepted and completion. Some of these factors will be beyond your control, but there are steps you can take as a buyer or seller to speed the process up.

How often should I hear from my conveyancer?

you can contact them every hour if you want, you are paying. If she wants you to stop chasing, a simple solution is to pull her finger out and get things moving. people in business are taught how to 'manage expectations'. Solicitors should be well used to stressed buyers/sellers and should know how to help.

Can conveyancing be done in 2 weeks?

Searches and surveys returned at this time can also raise issues that need to be resolved. This means the draft contract phase of the conveyancing process can take anywhere from a very straightforward 2 weeks to 10 weeks.

Can you complain about buyers solicitor?

Home buyers and sellers whose transactions are messed up or delayed by someone else's solicitor could be given rights to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.

How can I speed up the process of buying a house?

Tips on speeding up your house purchase
  1. Find a 'contract ready' property to buy.
  2. Avoid being in a chain.
  3. Book your survey early.
  4. Set target dates for exchange and completion.
  5. Get your money ready for exchange.

Can a solicitor stop a house sale?

For the buyer, a property solicitor will undertake a review of the legal title to assess if there are any issues that could stop you from buying the property, reselling it again in the future to someone else or from registering a charge over the title (even if you aren't getting a mortgage yourself).

Do solicitors charge if house sale falls through?

If a sale falls through, you won't have to pay Stamp Duty but you'll still be billed by the solicitor for the work they've done for you so far. However, if you feel like the solicitor is charging you too much, don't be afraid to question them about this.

Can a house sale go through in 6 weeks?

You could say the home-buying process is as long as a piece of string – it could be anything from six weeks (exceptionally quick), to six months (not unusual) or even longer. But it can help you to understand which are the most time-consuming parts of the process, so that it doesn't drag on more than necessary.

How long do solicitors take to exchange contracts?

How long is there between exchange of contracts and completion? Your solicitor will discuss dates for completion with you once your contracts have been exchanged. Usually, there's a period of one to three weeks between exchange and completion, but this may be longer depending on the size of your chain.

Is there a time limit to complain about solicitors?

A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must generally be made within six months of the service provider's final response. The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about poor service.