Solicitors and Solicitors

The system of property transfer in this country is relatively archaic when compared to those of most other countries. The variety of age and tenure of UK property forms a complex framework on which sit further complications such as easements, rights of way, restrictive covenants, planning restrictions, building consents, possessory titles and disputed boundaries.

There will therefore always be a need for an efficient and effective solicitor or conveyancer to handle the considerable legal work before, during, and after exchange of contracts.

But, just like estate agents, there are good solicitors and there are not-so-good ones. They all do the job of getting you moved, but some are more fastidious than others. This can be to your advantage, or it can be a problem. A really thorough solicitor will scrutinise every clause in every document and warn you off things a more “reasonable” solicitor might have identified, but not suggested was necessarily a problem. For example, you could find yourself liable to pay for the upkeep of a path road that was assumed to be public, but turned out to be private! Ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether an issue need actually cost the sale as you might be quite happy to live with something your solicitor raised as a “problem”.

Beware also that a particularly thorough solicitor, or an overworked, understaffed one, can also sometimes be the slowest. Where there is a competing buyer hot on your heels, speed can be absolutely critical. Slow conveyancing is one of the biggest causes of sales falling through, because it provides a greater window of opportunity for someone to pull out of a sale for a variety of reasons.

So when considering which solicitor to use, just like estate agents, don’t simply judge them on the fee they charge, but find one that has its own estate agency – it could save your sale or purchase.

Fortunately our estate agency service is a fully integrated department within our successful legal practice. We work closely together and are proud of the way in which such teamwork delivers results for our clients. Why not contact Leonard Gray on 01245 504904 to find out how “joined-up” estate agency could work for you?