Changing solicitor before finalalising purchase

amateurbuyer

Registered User
Messages
15
Hi all,

After going sale agreed on a place, I needed a solicitor to help with our purchase. I called a few places and settled on a solicitor since she was the most helpful over the phone. Although I had some problems getting her to return my calls a few times, she generally gave me some good advice when I did get in contact and she gave me the impression she had my best interests at heart.

We are now at the final stages of the purchase and I received a call last week informing me that the solicitor we had been dealing with was too busy to complete the deal and our case had been passed on to someone else. I called back two days ago and spoke to the solicitor who had been assigned our case. I wanted to ask a simple question relating to our purchase but he told me that I am either going to buy the place or not and there is no point in even talking until I had decided to sign the contract. He wouldn't let me even finish my question and ended up just saying goodbye and hanging up. He was unbelievably rude! I actually couldn't believe it!

Although he is part of the same firm, I chose my solicitor based on how she interacted with me over the phone. Do I have a right to deal with the person I hired? If not, would it be reasonable of me to just pay for the work she has done so far and opt for changing solicitor to finalise the contract?
Would they even be obliged to hand over the work they have undertaken to a new solicitor?

I am just in disbelief how rude he was to me and don't feel the newly assigned solicitor would have our best interests at heart.

Any advice??

Thanks in advance!
 
My advice is not to change solicitor as this will cost you. Have you agreed a price so far? I suggest a one on one meeting to clear everything up. Personally I would not accept the rude person and insist on dealing with the original solicitor explaining why.
 
Hi Bronte,

Yes, we have agreed a price which is broken down into different items. I was thinking I could just pay for what was done but I guess I'm dreaming to expect it to be that simple.

I'm afraid complaining now will cause more damage than good. What ever happened to the customer being right? In my whole experience of buying this property, us the buyers have been second class citizens in the interactions.
 
Amateur; Brontes question was good and it is good to see you have price agreed.
Unfortunate you have met a (twit) .Suggest stay with them and drop them a short note with your query (keep a copy) .

Better still get an appointment meet him and openly explain your concerns ; it is often magical how things change face to face.
If he is still a twit , you can still move.
 
Ring or email the original solicitor and tell her what you said here. You choose her because of her manner and you found her easy to deal with. You found the opposite with her colleague. She will either take your case back on or tell the upstart to sort himself out.

You shouldn't be put out because someone else hasn't got the professionalism to be mannerly to the person who is actually giving them money.



Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie
 
I'm getting the impression, and of course may be completely wrong, that OP is a pain. Hence passed on to colleague and colleague warned not to spend too much time on someone who may ultimately be a time waster.

And for what it's worth, if OP hasn't even signed the contract they are not, as they have stated, at the final stages of the purchase. They are possibly at the final stages of the decision to purchase, which sounds as though it has been protracted.
 
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