Changing Solicitor - official notice

Hi,

If someone is unhappy with their solicitor, then what is the best way to go about organising a change of solicitor?

Is it sufficient to just write a letter advising the solicitor in question that they wish to transfer to the new solicitor and all related files etc to be transferred?

The current solicitor is a close relation and no bills have ever been received for consultations over the years. I assume it would be worth mentioning in the letter that a bill for any outstanding fees should be provided by the solicitor also?

How long does a change of solicitor usually take? Can you start engaging with the new solicitor immediately?

Thanks

Talk to your new solicitor. They will explain to you that it largely depends on the nature of the work involved. If your current solicitor has given undertakings on your behalf, they will need to be released from those. Simillarly, if they are in correspondence with parties on your behalf, it would be inappropriate for a new solicitor to simply "butt" in without resolving formalities.

The norm is that your new solicitor seeks the release of all files and confirms the situation as regards outstanding fees. It is preferable that any outstanding fees are paid to the first solicitor and the files are released with no preconditions before the second solicitor starts doing any work.

mf