Yet again this week, I was spoilt for choice as to what to write about. But then I read an article on Estate Agent Today under the heading Property Natter: a day in the life of a Conveyancer. I am always interested into how other conveyancers work and how their days are, but this article gave me a lot to think about. I would also be interested to know what others think as my day is very unlike that portrayed in the article.
My day goes something like this:
7.30 am: switch on the laptop and check the emails that have come through since I logged off at 9.30pm the night before whilst eating my breakfast and having my first cup of coffee. There are some emails which do not need a response and can be filed; there are others which need a quick response, but there are those which need some careful consideration to the answer, together with those which have pages and pages of attachments which will need to be printed.
8.15 am: arrive at my office and wait for the printer to work its magic. File the printing that can be just put away, and file the work that needs to be done later.
8.30 am: post man arrives – open post, arranging documents to be scanned (transfer deeds, etc.) and filing what can be filed and either put away or leave to be worked on later.
8.45 am: make second, stronger cup of coffee.
8.58 am: telephone rings – as the office opens at 9am and the telephone lines are not yet officially open, we leave it to go to voicemail.
8.59 am: check emails – see email from client who says he has tried to call (at 8.58 am) and no one has answered; points out that he emailed 12 hours ago (yes that’s right at 8.58 pm) and no one has responded.
9.01 am: answer telephone to client who is very cross as he emailed last night, has called this morning and has emailed again and no one has got back to him – placate him by telling him that the information he needs regarding the sale of his property and when a Memorandum of Sale is to be issued is perhaps better asked of the estate agent who, when I spoke with them at 4.45 pm yesterday afternoon, mentioned that they were waiting for the buyer to provide details of his solicitor.
9.30 am: check inbox to find 50 emails already there – not sure whether to deal with the quick ones but notice the email from a panel manager asking me to update their portal or they will start an investigation process. I know that the application has not yet been processed by the Land Registry so update the Portal to tell them this, thinking that they could check this themselves, and avoid a charge for not keeping the Portal updated.
9.50 am: go back to the 49 emails only to find that there are 30 more. Telephone rings – estate agent wanting to know why I have not called the seller’s solicitor as he is ready to exchange contracts and he emailed at 9.45am to say he was ready; the chain is concerned that I am holding up the process.
9.53 am: call said solicitor to exchange but am told he is now in a meeting until noon and to email him to tell him that I am now ready to exchange. Do as requested and copy in agent and client so that they know the position. Agent emails back to say chain are disappointed that I did not see the email from the seller’s solicitor earlier and then we would not be in this position.
9.55am: have an even stronger cup of coffee.
And so the morning goes on…
This is written by a real high street conveyancer who wishes to remain anonymous. Read more in Today’s Conveyancer every week.
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One Response
This did make me smile for a Monday morning!
I particularly like the complaint that you did not respond quickly enough – obviously poetic licence but it’s not that far from truth.
One thing I wasn’t sure whether was true or not – surely it’s not the case that panel managers have a “fining” system for missing SLA’s. That MUST be a joke, right? SURELY??