Solicitor's fees for buy out

[nanor76]

Hi there

In a nutshell I am buying out my ex-girfriend from our apartment (330k). We are very agreeable to the amount I owe to her from the increase in value etc. and both would like to get it done for as little solicitor's fees as possible.

The solicitor we used when initally buying said that they cannot do both of us as there is a conflict of interest for them (is that true?) and we work out it will be another roughly €1600 each for her to use the same guys, and a new one for me (or vice versa).

This is another €3k we can both do without. Has anyone been in a similar situation and are we being robbed? What would you expect to pay solicitors to arrange this?

Hope you can follow this - and thanks a million

 

[ClubMan]

The solicitor we used when initally buying said that they cannot do both of us as there is a conflict of interest for them (is that true?)

A scrupulous solicitor! Begob! Sorry - I'm just watching Rumpole (a barrister I know) DVDs this evening and am infected by his cynicism...

But seriously - I think that they are acting correctly here. I think it is obvious that there is a potential conflict of interest in such a case.

 

[nanor76]

What about the fee? Do they sound right? I would have thought the fee for this would be less than when it was a brand new property?

 

[ClubMan]

If you mean €1.6K each for their professional conveyancing fees with other charges on top of that then it sounds steep to me. Have you shopped around for the best deal from a solicitor who you can trust to do the job professionally and assiduously?

 

[juke]

I agree that there is a potential conflict of interest. Where I have acted for couples who bought tegether in the past, and who have now split up, I will only act in this transaction where they are in absolute agreement about everything beforehand.

Any dispute, then I refuse to act for either party.

As regards costs - The op's solicitor would do the bulk of the work - take up the deeds from the bank, draft the transfer papers, complete the new mortgage documentation, conduct searches etc. The ex-girlfriend would only need a solicitor to advise her about what she's doing and witness her signature to the documents - so that fee should be a lot less, imo.