Merry Christmas!
This year our offices will close at 5.30pm on Monday 23rd December and reopen at 9:00am on Thursday 2nd January.
Please note the last day for completions in our Conveyancing Department will be Friday 20th December.
We wish you all a safe and happy Christmas, and best wishes for 2025.
Services For You
This article has been adapted from an illustrated document you can download here.
In short – what do you need and want from your Conveyancing solicitor?
At Wards we
Get a few quotes before making a decision, but make sure they are like-for-like and compare the charges.
At Wards we are happy to supply you with an estimate of our charges by email, or post.
“While it’s a good idea to get quotes, remember that buying a house is in all likelihood the biggest financial outlay you’ll have in your life. By all means make sure that you’ve got a competitive quote but don’t become consumed with getting the cheapest.
"We really appreciated Rebecca's calm, considered and extremely efficient approach to getting the job done."
"Thanks to Theo and Roze for all their hard work - they were the best team and it was so reassuring to have them on my side."
"We have had an excellent service from Richard, and have already recommended him to friends."
“A few quotes are usually enough. If you’re spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a house, in the overall scheme of things once you’ve got a few quotes to compare ask yourself whether it is a good use of your time to spend days ringing around twenty lawyers in an effort to save maybe £20 on legal fees?”
So said the Legal Ombudsman…
At Wards we do not expect to be the cheapest. We do aim to offer our clients quality legal advice with a personal service at a fair cost. We can secure searches quickly and at the most competitive prices and we do not use high risk ‘personal’ search providers.
“Beware of quotes that look a lot cheaper than others – as the saying goes, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
If you are having a mortgage can the firm act for the lender as well or will there be an additional charge?
At Wards we supply clear costs information from the start, with no hidden extras. We can act for all lenders. We do not disguise our true charge by adding in nebulous charges for ‘archive fees’ setting up data records for clients and so forth. We do not charge extra for work which should be part of the service – such as raising or replying to enquiries raised on your transaction.
If you are considering a no move no fee ‘deal’ check this carefully. The Legal Ombudsman, in his report, gives examples of cases which proved to be anything but what the client expected.
At Wards we reserve the right to charge for work on your case if it does not proceed. This is based on the amount of work done, in proportion to our original estimate. This then fairly balances our clients interests with our own. We are usually happy to carry forward any charge where the property is to be re-marketed, to the completion invoice.
Remember you are free to choose. You do not have to follow the recommendation of your estate agent. Be wary of recommendations which are not based on the value of the conveyancer but rather on the amount they will pay to them if they secure your work. Do not be afraid to ask!
At Wards we do not pay estate agents for referring any work to us. These days we are fairly unique in this respect.
We agree fully that this is a two way street. We provide information at the commencement of the transaction to help with common issues, but are always available by telephone and email to discuss any concerns. Some clients express reticence about troubling us, but it is what we are here for!
“There is no such thing as a silly question”
At Wards we could not agree more. If our client is unsure or worried about anything, we are the experts and here to help.
We will always send you a copy of the title plan and show you what is included in the sale to you.
At Wards we aim to offer all our clients an efficient and effective service however if a client is unhappy with any aspect of our service we have a complaints procedure in place, with a dedicated client care manager, and details are provided in our initial terms of business and subsequent correspondence.
For further information please contact Rebecca Stuart.
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Wards Solicitors
