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Karen James

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my expertise in the industry

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Part of the problem has been the move towards 'no sale, no fee'. Other than time spent, sellers have nothing to lose from pulling out of a transaction at any time. Buyers will perhaps have invested a bit more, but even then most search companies now offer a 'second set of searches free'. I have never calculated the cost of time spent on abortive transactions that we are unable to charge for - sometimes it is better not to know!

From: Karen James 07 April 2017 11:31 AM

Ramsdens have been preparing 'Contract Ready' packs for a number of years because 1) It gives us a competitive advantage, 2) It promotes client retention and 3) It can be argued that it does reduce the transaction time once a buyer is found. We try to anticipate any query a buyer's solicitor may raise, part of the conveyancing process that often causes the most delay. Who better then, to prepare the contents than another lawyer?

From: Karen James 07 December 2016 10:22 AM

Speaking as a 'volume conveyancer' (and I use that expression in its strictest sense and not as a derogatory term) we, like many of our peers offer our clients a 'no completion, no fee' service. In other words, we underwrite our own fees on failed transactions. We therefore have a vested interest and a massive incentive to get matters completed in the timescale a client desires, and at a speed which the slowest party in a chain allows. Most delays are caused by circumstances beyond our control. However, we do waste a lot of time chasing other solicitors for information or progress and explaining to clients and estate agents what is outstanding and why the information is necessary. Where it is a conveyancer in the chain causing a delay, we frequently discover it is either a sole practitioner or a small 2 to 3 partner firm where the fee earner is 'out for lunch' or 'at court' or 'off sick'. These firms simply do not have the resources available to deal with absences. They do not have the capital to invest in modern IT systems or in the development of support staff and consequently everything takes just that little bit longer. They complain about emails, personal searches, direct dial telephone numbers, on-line banking and most will not have heard of gateways, client portals or inter-active services. Some still close for lunch! This does not make them bad lawyers. Unlike Mr Higham I have no desire to criticise a fellow conveyancer just because of the size of their business. I may, however, criticise them for the way in which they deliver their service. In my experience, however, it is rarely a 'volume conveyancer' who causes delays.

From: Karen James 16 May 2016 12:08 PM

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