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Written by Ruban Selvanayagam
Ruban Selvanayagam
Ruban Selvanayagam is a professional cash homebuyer, private rented sector landlord, auction specialist, blogger and media commentator.
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Edited by James Durr
James Durr
James Durr is a passionate property entrepreneur with a strong foundation and background in business.
Whether you’re buying or selling a property, it’s normal to feel like you’re in the dark about what’s happening at some point in the process.
Often, there’s nothing you can do but sit back and hope everyone else is doing their job. Since the average conveyancing process takes 12-16 weeks, it can nonetheless be an agonising wait.
So, how can you put pressure on solicitors to help move things along – while remaining professional and respectful?
In this article, the quick house sale experts Property Solvers explain how you should approach a slow solicitor, along with other must-know tips – such as how to ask for updates and make direct contact with the other parties involved in the property transaction.
Why Are Solicitors So Slow?
Before going into how to apply pressure on conveyancing solicitors, it’s worth understanding why delays can appear by putting yourself in their shoes.
Solicitors are responsible for transferring home ownership from one person (or company) to another. Some of the core processes include:
- Overseeing matters like anti-money laundering / title checks, conveyancing searches, mortgage offers
- Dealing with Law Society form filling requirements
- Dealing with (often complex) enquiries
- Drafting / signing contracts
- Helping their respective clients exchange contracts and complete on the sale
These processes involve a few parties. As well as the solicitors representing both sides, there are the estate agents, search providers such as the local authority and often a mortgage lender. This often means delays during the conveyancing process are common.
Sometimes, the buyer is the one being slow – maybe they’re ignoring messages from their solicitor or failing to sign the contract. This might not be under the solicitor’s control, but they may be able to help push things along.
What Other Reasons Could Delay Solicitors?
Delays with ID and Anti Money Laundering Checks + Client Care Packs
Before starting the conveyancing process, solicitors will need to undertake identification and anti-money laundering (AML) checks. Although many firms these days incorporate client online “onboarding” processes, there can still be delays.
Sellers can also be slow in completing the Law Society forms and buyers sometimes fail to communicate with their solicitor regarding their finances to proceed in a timely manner.
Mortgage Lender Delays
Whilst some are faster than others, it’s fairly common to hear of mortgage lenders being slow to authorise the funding of the property purchase.
It’s also fairly common to hear of incorrect documentation being forwarded and mortgage lenders requiring more information from the buyer.
Legal Complexities
Some transactions are more complex than others. Examples of properties that require extra effort include larger houses and buildings (under multiple titles) as well as listed or historical buildings that require extra paperwork.
Other times, there could be easement (rights of way) issues, restrictive covenants, planning-related or other title-related issues that need to be dealt with.
It’s worth remembering that most solicitors charge a flat fee, regardless of the extra work that may be required to get the sale “over the line”.
Solicitor Enquiries
As the solicitors liaise with each other before drafting contracts, some delays can occur as should there be any peculiar questions that may require extra attention.
There are also instances where the responses provided by the seller’s solicitor are simply unsatisfactory.
Leasehold Property Sale Issues
Related to the above, leasehold properties (typically flats) require conveyancers to read through leases and raise enquiries with management companies and freeholders who are notoriously slow.
Conveyancing Searches
Most conveyancing searches take a maximum of a week to come through.
However, the local authority search is well recognised for taking weeks or even months in many parts of the UK.
For this reason, auction and quick cash buyers (like Property Solvers) tend to take out indemnity insurance policies which will financially protect them should any red flags appear post completion.
Issues with the Property Survey
Should the surveyor raise concerns regarding the physical state of the property, buyers may request for these to be addressed in some way. These can often form part of the condition of sale.
Other issues could include a down valuation which, in turn, results in the mortgage lender either withdrawing finance or some form of renegotiation of the purchase price.
Property (or Underlying Land) is Unregistered
If the property’s underlying land is not registered at HM Land Registry, there will likely be delays whilst the conveyancer makes the necessary submissions.
Property Chains
House sale chains slow solicitors down due to their interdependent nature.
Problems tend to worsen when there is a lack of communication between respective conveyancers or there are challenging legal issues within each transaction, not to mention the potential for chain breaks if a party withdraws.
Time of the Year
Although conveyancers have a solid pipeline of cases under management at most times, some of the busier times of the year – such as Spring and Autumn – tend to see some workload pressures. As a result, processing transactions can get slower.
Where the House Sale Falls in the Market Cycle
If there’s a strong buyers or sellers market, conveyancers are often faced with heavier workloads – whereas, in slower markets, you may find communication to be a little easier.
Solicitor Incompetence
Poor solicitors slow down house sales because they can make mistakes, lack efficiency and fail to handle the legal aspects of the transaction effectively. These problems often get exacerbated when the firm is understaffed, overworked or simply decides to move your transaction to the bottom of the pile.
How to Put Pressure on Solicitors
Whilst it’s not always fair to blame solicitors, if you’ve found yourself in a situation facing inexplicable delays, here’s how you can put some pressure and hold them to account…
1. Ask Your Solicitor for Updates
Establishing a solid line of communication by “checking in” regularly helps to apply pressure on solicitors. This is especially useful in the later stages of the conveyancing process – when you’ll typically spend more time waiting and there’s less for you to do.
There’s no need to overthink things here. Remember, most solicitors want to work proactively with their clients. You’re both on the same side, and it’s in their interest for the sale to go through promptly.
Simply contact your solicitor asking if they have any updates for you. You may want to include a deadline to let your solicitor know the latest possible completion date you can have. If you’re applying for a mortgage, you can use the date your offer expires.
Contacting a solicitor by phone can be the most effective way to get a quick response, but email also works.
There’s no right or wrong answer regarding frequency, and consistently contacting your solicitor is a great way to apply pressure without being too harsh. However, contacting them more than once a week is unnecessary unless you’ve already made multiple attempts and been ignored (in which case daily emails may be acceptable).
A further tip is to ask your solicitor to copy you into communications with third parties so that you’re in the loop at all times.
However, if your conveyancing solicitor has ignored a lot of your messages and you’re worried they might be ghosting you, you may want to turn things up a notch.
2. Contact the Solicitor Firm’s Partner or Managing Director
If you feel a solicitor has handled your case unprofessionally and ignored your attempts to communicate, there’s nothing like getting the boss to apply a little pressure.
Usually, the best people to contact are the Partner or the Managing Director of the solicitor’s firm. You may be able to find out who holds this title and what their email address is with a quick Google search or by browsing the company’s website (usually via the “About Us” page).
Otherwise, you can simply call the customer service department and ask them to connect you to the right person so you can file a complaint about a conveyancing solicitor.
Sometimes, the threat of escalation is enough to put pressure on solicitors and get the ball rolling. Other times, you may have to proceed to a formal complaint.
Remember, the solicitor should have given you approximate timelines during the conveyancing quotation process which you can relay over to the relevant person(s) you speak to.
3. Turn to Your Estate Agent
Contacting the estate agent can be a helpful way to speed up conveyancing.
Although the conveyancer is the one who ultimately gets the sale going, estate agents have access to the other party’s solicitor. Contacting them allows you to apply some pressure on your own solicitor indirectly.
They’re also likely to have more practice in applying pressure since it’s part of their job. And remember — an estate agent has a vested interest in helping the transaction go through since their own commissions depend on its success.
One thing you should never try to do is contact the buyer’s solicitor yourself if you’re a seller (or the seller’s solicitor if you’re the buyer). Even if you managed to contact them, they wouldn’t be able to give you any information.
However, there’s no harm in making direct contact with the buyer or seller if you have their contact details and they don’t mind. This can put you both at ease and clear up what’s happening without involving the middlemen. If word gets back to your solicitor, it can help to apply the necessary pressure.
However, this isn’t always a wise idea, so proceed with caution and see how the other person reacts after you’ve made contact to figure out if you should back down. And remember: The other party isn’t the person you should be putting pressure on.
4. Work to Your Mortgage Deadline
Most mortgage offers have an expiration date and it can be worth it to stress the importance of meeting this date.
Your mortgage broker can also apply some equal pressure for the solicitor to work quicker.
5. Threaten to Pull Out of the Process
If you’re ready to really put pressure on solicitors, you could threaten to pull out of the selling or buying process. It might feel like a significant move, but it can be a strategic way to apply some pressure. A solicitor won’t get paid for the house purchase if you pull out, so it’s a huge motivation for them to get into gear.
However, it also has the potential to sour the relationship – so it’s not a strategy to use lightly. It could also backfire if you’re not actually willing to pull out of the process and the conveyancing solicitors call your bluff.
If you want to take this approach, simply communicate to your solicitor that you’re considering withdrawing from the transaction because you’re concerned things will fall through. You may want to discuss this decision with your estate agent first if you’re not sure whether it’s the right strategy for you.
6. Make an Official Complaint
In an ideal world, you’d be able to handle the situation cordially with your solicitor without having to escalate the matter. But if months have passed or you’re struggling to get any kind of response, it may be time to file an official complaint.
The complaints procedure for a solicitor involves contacting the Legal Ombudsman, which will analyse what happened from the perspective of both parties and aim to reach a resolution.
However, note that this won’t help you to sell or buy your house any sooner. It indeed can lead to more complexity and delays.
7. Change Solicitor
One option (albeit fairly “last resort”) is to change solicitors. This can be timely, so it’s not a decision to make lightly, but sometimes it can lead to a net gain. Larger firms also have swapping service where they can assign a different solicitor to manage the case.
If so, here are some tips to find the right conveyancing solicitor.
First, make sure they’re a licensed conveyancer. This might sound obvious, but make sure you check for relevant credential via the Solicitors Regulation Authority and/or the The Society of Licensed Conveyancers. Your estate agent may also have some recommendations.
Of course, it’s not all about pieces of paper – testimonials and past experiences matter too. Check Trustpilot and Google My Business, for example, and ask people you know for recommendations.
Your Role in Avoiding Delays
Yes, conveyancing solicitors are often to blame for the delays in a house transaction. But don’t forget that you play a crucial role in the conveyancing process too.
To avoid delays, you should set up a solid communication channel from the get-go. As soon as you meet your solicitor, get things off to a good start by asking them how quickly you can expect updates. This helps to set the tone for later follow-ups.
After this, don’t give your solicitor an excuse to be slow – respond to every message and comply with every request as quickly as possible. This will help move the process along swiftly. It also lets your solicitor know that you’re serious.
And no matter how much of a rush you’re in to buy or sell a house, don’t rush the hiring process. It’s best to set up a meeting or call before you commit to working with someone, which gives you a chance to find out more about their communication process.
Advice for Sellers
Sellers can also do themselves a favour by getting their paperwork in place before conveyancing solicitors even ask for it. This includes:
- Warranties (for appliances, structural elements, recent repairs)
- Certificates (energy efficiency, building regulations compliance)
- Planning permission (approved plans, permits and conditions associated with planning consent)
- Property information form (contains comprehensive details about the property)
Having this documentation ready ahead of time instills confidence in buyers and minimises delays.
Advice for Buyers
A lot of the advice above applies to both the buyer and the seller, but if you’re a buyer, we also have some specific advice.
Getting your property survey booked as early as possible is helpful since this is a common source of delays, especially if you’re buying a bigger house. Although lenders will sort this out as part of the mortgage process, it’s a good idea to book your own survey as soon as the seller accepts your offer.
If you need financing for the house, you should also get this in place ahead of time. It’s always a good idea to get an Agreement or Decision in Principle (AIP or DIP) before even attending viewings. Even if you’re a cash buyer, you must prove you have the funds ready.
If you haven’t yet committed to the home buying process for a specific property, you can do yourself a favour by avoiding a house on a chain. This way, you’ll only be at the mercy of a couple of conveyancing solicitors rather than the dozens in the chain.
Time to Apply Some Pressure
Buying and selling a house can feel like a pressure cooker at the best of times, and you may be reluctant to take things too far.
But once you know how to put pressure on solicitors professionally, you’ll realise you can do so in a respectful yet effective way.
Check in regularly, set a deadline, and involve your estate agent. As a worst-case scenario, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman or other regulatory body.
As mentioned, working with a cash buyer (such as a sell my house fast company like Property Solvers) is one way to ensure a smooth, quick property sale since transactions without chains are much simpler.
You might think cash buyers are few and far between, but at Property Solvers, we make everything easy with a guaranteed cash sale in just 7-28 days with no estate agency or legal fees.
