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In This Guide

Apply for a mortgage

Buying at auction

Buying in Scotland

Conveyancing

   1. Conveyancing

   2. The conveyancing process

   3. Exchange and completion

   4. Costs

   5. Choosing a solicitor

   6. Complaining about solicitors

   7. DIY conveyancing

Find and view

Negotiate

Plan your purchase

Success and failure

Surveys and valuations

To buy or not to buy

Country Guides

All Countries:

Conveyancing

Complaining about solicitors

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Despite being a profession in which it is difficult to qualify, there are still some solicitors who will not deliver the standard of service that you expect. From simply being extremely slow and laborious, through to being downright negligent, solicitors can suffer from the same faults as the rest of us.

No matter how much homework you do on a solicitor and no matter how much hassle, harassment and haranguing you pressure them with, you may still find that you have grounds for complaint against them. So what do you do?

Fortunately, as a recognised profession, the law industry has certain standards to maintain and professional bodies to see that the quality of service is appropriate. The office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) is the powerful regulatory arm of the Law Society that oversees the activities of all of its members. They have the power to inflict harsh penalties on any firms or individuals that are seen to be in breach of the solicitors act. As such, merely threatening to write to them can be a quick route to suddenly finding your solicitor a much more helpful individual. If you do need to complain, then you have three choices:

Write to them:

OSS
Victoria court
8 Dormer Place
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV32 5AE

Phone them: 01926 820 082

Or visit their website: www.lawsociety.org.uk

Finally, make sure that you employ a licensed conveyancer or a fully qualified solicitor. Avoid employing either a legal adviser or a legal executive to do your conveyancing work, or you will not have the same opportunities for redress should anything go wrong.

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