4 ways to spot incompetent conveyancing solicitors

Incompetent conveyancing solicitors can add weeks of unnecessary delays to an already time-sensitive process. Modern conveyancing relies heavily on technology—such as secure portals, digital ID checks, and online Land Registry filing—to ensure you experience the fastest conveyancing transaction possible.

The best conveyancing solicitors embrace these systems to enable rapid communication with their clients and the wider property chain. However, archaic practices still exist within the industry. If you feel like your transaction is moving at a snail's pace, here is how to recognise poor service and what you can do about it.

4 Warning Signs of an Inefficient Conveyancing Solicitor

1. "I've dictated the response"

Back in the eighties and nineties, conveyancing solicitors would dictate their legal responses into a handheld machine and pass the tapes to a secretary to type up and post. Astoundingly, some firms still operate this way. Modern, efficient solicitors use comprehensive Case Management Systems (CMS) to generate, review, and send legal correspondence digitally in minutes, rather than leaving files languishing in a typing queue for days.

2. Relying on Fax Machines and the Post

Does faxing still exist? Yes. Sadly, a small handful of mortgage lenders and old-fashioned law firms still champion this archaic system. However, the vast majority of the conveyancing process can now be handled via secure scanned documents and encrypted emails. If your solicitor insists on waiting for hard copies in the post for standard enquiries, it is a major red flag for their overall efficiency.

3. The Communication Black Hole

You call for an update, the receptionist promises your solicitor will call you back, and they never do. This lack of communication actually creates more work for everyone. If you are left in the dark, you will naturally call your estate agent and mortgage broker. They will then chase the seller's solicitor, creating a tsunami of panicked phone calls that could have been avoided with a single, proactive email update from your conveyancer.

4. "They are in a meeting... constantly"

Conveyancing is a fast-paced environment, and a solicitor's day often involves balancing active phone calls with intense, focused periods of checking complex legal titles. However, considering most residential conveyancers rarely meet clients face-to-face anymore, being "constantly in a meeting" is often a screening tactic used by overwhelmed staff to avoid taking calls.

How to Put Pressure on an Incompetent Solicitor

If you are struggling to get answers, you need to transition from phone calls to creating a written paper trail. Read our full guide on how to put pressure on solicitors, but start with these steps:

If you cannot get a response via phone, email your solicitor requesting a bullet-point update on exactly what they are waiting for. Continue to do this once a day. This applies professional pressure and creates a documented timeline of their unresponsiveness without disrupting their ability to actually work on your file. You can also ask your estate agent to apply pressure up the chain to ensure the delay isn't actually sitting with the seller's legal team.

Can I Sue My Conveyancing Solicitor?

There is a distinct legal difference between a solicitor providing poor customer service (such as not returning calls) and a solicitor being professionally negligent (such as failing to register your property correctly or missing a vital title defect).

• For poor service: Your first step must be to raise a formal written complaint through the law firm's internal complaints procedure. If they do not resolve the issue to your satisfaction within 8 weeks, you can escalate the matter to the Legal Ombudsman, who can investigate and potentially award compensation for distress and inconvenience.
• For professional negligence: If their incompetence has caused you a direct, quantifiable financial loss (a breach of their duty of care), you may have grounds to sue for professional negligence. You would need to instruct a separate specialist litigation solicitor to pursue this claim.

Can I Change Solicitors Mid-Transaction?

Yes, you absolutely can. If the relationship has completely broken down, we offer a dedicated swapping service designed to make the transition as simple and stress-free as possible.

Your new solicitor will require you to formally disinstruct your previous firm. They will then request your file and any initial search results from the incompetent solicitor. While the new solicitor will legally have to review the file from scratch to ensure no mistakes were made, having a proactive, communicative professional take over often results in a faster overall completion than staying with a firm that ignores you.

4 Tips for Choosing a Reliable Conveyancer

The best way to handle an incompetent solicitor is to avoid instructing one in the first place. Here are four vital checks to make before you sign their terms of business:

• Regulatory Approval: Ensure they are fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
• Lender Panel Membership: Check they are approved and on the panel for your specific mortgage lender. If they are not, you will have to pay for a second solicitor just to represent the bank.
• Realistic Fees: Be extremely wary of "rock-bottom" conveyancing quotes. A cheap solicitor often means an overloaded solicitor handling hundreds of files, which inevitably leads to poor communication and critical errors.
• Review the Reviews: Check Trustpilot and Google Reviews. Look for detailed, written reviews rather than blank 5-star ratings. If their overall rating is below 4 out of 5, expect a bumpy ride.