In shock over solicitor's quotation

Status
Not open for further replies.

Sav H

Registered User
Messages
20
Hi

I am in the process of selling my house, and buying another. Contracts just about to be signed on both (next few days) - have been asking solicitor for quotation for about 6 weeks, finally received it yesterday - solicitor is looking for 1% of sale price, and 1% of purchase price plus vat plus costs. This equates to at least 16,000 Euro!!! I am not rich - am cleaned out financially after recent separation. This firm of solicitors dealt with my separation, that's why I am still with them. I am not sure if I am tied into using them, but feel it would be very tricky to change solicitors at this late stage. I rang around solicitors from Golden Pages yesterday, and got a quote for selling and buying of 2000 Euro plus vat plus costs. I don't know what line to take with current solicitor - should I tell them to put a hold on contracts being signed, until the relevant partner talks to me about fees? I don't want to jeopardise my sale or purchase either....

Any advice?

Sav H
 
The 'lesson learnt' for you and all posters is not to proceed without having agreed a price up front.

The bad news is that it will be difficult (but not impossible) to switch solicitors at this stage. It will cost you some time delays, and you'll have to pay your current solicitor for work done to date. If you're not happy with his charge for this, you can refer this to the Taxing Master for review.

The good news is that you should certainly play hardball at this stage, and make it clear that you are prepared to switch if needs be. He had a legal obligation (iirc) to provide you with a written quote up front (Section 68 letter?), so he's screwed up on that. Tell him his quote is way out of line with the market rates - 1% fees went out with flares & bell-bottoms, and that you'll be referring his quote to the Taxing Master if it doesn't come way down.

So it's really down to how well you can haggle...

Is there a chance that he lost money on your seperation work which he is now trying to recoup?
 
Simple tell him he did not give quote when you asked and therefore you looked elsewhere and reliased he is over charging you by way to much and you are prepared to move to new solicitor unless he charges the same, dont think he is in a standing that you cant talk to him those days are long gone, think about it if it were a few hundred I would have a issue but thousands , stand up for yourself and maybe talk it over with new solicitor and let him deal with it after all you will be paying him and you wont even have to talk to your old solicitor , you owe him nothing look after number one and when you are on your summer vacation with case that old solicitor wanted you wont be bother as nike say just do it, or at least get correct price, also ring the law socity for advice
 
niall murphy in ballincollig, co cork charges €950 plus vat plus otlays. get his no in phoen book and give him a shout.
 
The sooner that ratemysolicitor.com website gets up the better.....
 
Of course you can switch solicitors. Just be straight with your own solicitor and tell him that you got a cheaper quote elsewhere and ask him if he's willing to match it. There is a big difference between €16k and €2k. It would be quite unusal that you would be quoted 1% for sale and 1% for purchase, you should at least get a discount on the two transactions. What part of the country are you in and someone might recommend a solicitor to you?
 
Just bought house. 1050 +vat+outlays. Tell him to get lost. He led you into this trap with the intention of screwing you. Do not give him further business, i wouldnt even ask him for a reduction. Surely if you go in and ask him for all files/docs relating to you he must hand them over.
 
re: ravima's post above, john collins in Dunmanway does the same deal as niall murphy in Ballincollig for west cork, 950 + vat + outlays. I think they trade as homelawdirect.
 
Chamar said:
Believe me, I would love to - but I wouldn't want to rip off anyone's idea, as well as not really having the technical know-how. Actually I had contacted the person involved and they have recently started a Yahoo! group. Here's the link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Crooked-Lawyers/
It's a free market so there's nothing to stop you setting up your own site on that or any other topic. And you don't necessarily need that much technical know-how to run such a site given that hosting providers can do much of the work for you. You do, however, need the courage of your convictions and to put some money where your mouth is though. Just look at what Brendan started when he set up AAM a few years ago! :)
 
If you set up site like ratemysolicitor.com you can be sure that you will be shutdown by the bararge of legal action from solicitors feeling wronged by the opinions expressed on the site. You would need very deep pockets to fight off legal actions so the site could stay open.

Edit: I see someone has already taken it. :)

Registrant:
TDI
The Mill
Caher, Tipperary n-a
IE



Domain Name: RATEMYSOLICITOR.COM
 
"you can be sure that you will be shutdown by the bararge of legal action from solicitors feeling wronged by the opinions expressed on the site"

Perhaps, but I doubt it. I cannot recall a single incident of a lawyer in Ireland suing a client for libel. Maybe I am just not around long enough.
 
Just wondering how did you get on nice to hear outcome
Sav H said:
Hi

I am in the process of selling my house, and buying another. Contracts just about to be signed on both (next few days) - have been asking solicitor for quotation for about 6 weeks, finally received it yesterday - solicitor is looking for 1% of sale price, and 1% of purchase price plus vat plus costs. This equates to at least 16,000 Euro!!! I am not rich - am cleaned out financially after recent separation. This firm of solicitors dealt with my separation, that's why I am still with them. I am not sure if I am tied into using them, but feel it would be very tricky to change solicitors at this late stage. I rang around solicitors from Golden Pages yesterday, and got a quote for selling and buying of 2000 Euro plus vat plus costs. I don't know what line to take with current solicitor - should I tell them to put a hold on contracts being signed, until the relevant partner talks to me about fees? I don't want to jeopardise my sale or purchase either....

Any advice?

Sav H
 
Thank you to everyone for your replies!

The latest is (Oulu), I got onto my solicitor, who was not very sympathetic, but who said he would knock Euro 1500 (plus vat) off total as goodwill gesture. That still leaves bill at about Euro 15500 (the original quotation was actually Euro 17500ish). Tried to change solicitors, but estate agent who is selling my new house to me, said that if I changed solicitors at this late stage, the vendor of my new house, who is already nervous as contracts have yet to be signed, could possibly pull out, and I would lose that house. She advised me to sign contracts and then change solicitors, if need be. I'm not sure if any solicitor will still want to take me on at that stage... Closing date is in 2 weeks - I'll let you know how it goes!
 
"She advised me to sign contracts and then change solicitors, if need be."

I strongly disagree. If you want to change solicitors, you should take your file (including the contracts) from your current solicitor, bring them to your new solicitor, sign the contract there (using the advice and services of your new solicitor)and have your new solicitor send it back to the solicitor for the seller. Once they receive a signed contract, they won't care which solicitor sent it.

The current solicitor is entitled to be paid for work to date before releasing the file to you, so why let more work accrue at such a high rate of charge.
 
Sav H said:
Tried to change solicitors, but estate agent who is selling my new house to me, said that if I changed solicitors at this late stage, the vendor of my new house, who is already nervous as contracts have yet to be signed, could possibly pull out, and I would lose that house. She advised me to sign contracts and then change solicitors, if need be.
Don't take this at face value. Your vendor won't pull out because you change solicitors. They might pull out if they think they can get a quick sale at a higher price if they put the house back on the market. Judge the situation for yourself.
 
You employ solicitors to help you with the biggest purchase of your life and end up being screwed by unscrupulous solicitors and creating more hassle for you, as if you have not got enough with the purchase already! How can she/he justify such a large fee for doing so little??

 
Well, the latest is... I got in touch with a solicitor who was recommended to me by a friend, and this new solicitor said that she would definitely not take a client from a "colleague" (meaning any other solicitor). She said I she would be extremely surprised if any solicitor would take me on as my closing date is in less than two weeks, and that even if they did, the whole process would be held up by at least a month. She also said that my current solicitor is not doing anything illegal, that it's just me that has an issue with his fees. According to her, the law society has regulations/guidelines which do not allow a solicitor to take a case from another solicitor! I asked her did she see where I was coming from, not having received a quotation for 6 weeks after asking repeatedly, and she said I should just stick with my current solicitor, pay the bill, and put it down to experience. I asked her again would I get a similar reaction from any other solicitor I rang, and she said I probably would, but that I could try ringing around solicitors from the Golden Pages, and somebody might take me on, but it was unlikely.

What do you think..?
 
Rubbish. I'm a solicitor and I would take you on as a client at a flat fee rate. You would have to give a new solicitor an authority to take the file from the old solicitor and you would have to pay the old solicitor their fees to date. That is all. Where are you based? Perhaps I or someone near you can give you a recommendation.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top