Selling process
How to Put Pressure on Your Solicitor
To speed up a slow conveyancer, be proactive and organised: return your own paperwork and ID promptly, set a target completion date in writing and ask for a weekly update, get all parties’ solicitors talking, and escalate politely but firmly to a supervisor if progress stalls. Much delay is outside your solicitor’s control (searches, the other side, lenders), so chase the right bottleneck rather than just pushing your own lawyer.
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Get your own house in order first
Before pressuring your solicitor, make sure you’re not the delay. Return your ID and proof of funds, complete the property information and fittings forms, answer enquiries quickly and fully, and sign and return documents the day they arrive. A surprising amount of conveyancing delay is the client sitting on paperwork. Being the fast, organised party gives you the moral authority — and the practical right — to expect the same speed back.
Communicate clearly and set targets
Set the tone early: tell your solicitor in writing that you want a specific target completion date and ask for a brief weekly update on progress and outstanding items. A clear, named point of contact and a regular rhythm beats sporadic angry calls. Ask, at each update, "what is the single thing holding this up, and who is responsible for it?" — that question cuts through vagueness and tells you where the real bottleneck is.
Know what actually causes delay
| Cause | Who to chase |
|---|---|
| Local authority searches | Council backlog — solicitor can sometimes expedite |
| Enquiries unanswered | The other side’s solicitor |
| Mortgage offer delay | Buyer’s lender/broker |
| Missing management pack (flats) | Managing agent/freeholder |
| The chain | The slowest link, not your solicitor |
Pressuring your own solicitor for a delay caused by the other side or a search backlog won’t help — identify the true bottleneck first.
Escalate the right way
If your solicitor is genuinely slow or unresponsive, escalate professionally: ask for a call with the supervising partner, put your concerns and the target date in writing (email) so there’s a record, and reference the agreed timescale. Stay firm but courteous — solicitors juggle many cases, and a reasonable, organised client who escalates clearly gets prioritised over an abusive one. As a last resort, a firm has a complaints procedure, and you can raise issues with the Legal Ombudsman, but that’s rarely necessary.
Removing the delay altogether
The biggest conveyancing delays come from chains, mortgages and searches. A chain-free cash sale removes most of them: no buyer’s mortgage to wait on, no chain to collapse, and an experienced buyer’s solicitor used to moving quickly. A cash buyer can complete in 7-28 days precisely because so many standard delay points are gone (see how long it takes). For a sale that simply can’t afford to drift, that certainty can matter more than chasing a busy solicitor.
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Written & reviewed by Lisa Hayes, Founder
Lisa Hayes is the founder of Ready Steady Sell and an independent UK home-selling expert with over a decade helping homeowners weigh cash house buyers, property investors and the wider fast house-sale industry — without pressure or hidden fees. Every guide is reviewed for accuracy under our editorial standards.
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Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, no sales talk
How do I speed up my solicitor?
Return your own paperwork and ID promptly, set a target completion date in writing, ask for weekly updates, identify the real bottleneck, and escalate politely to a supervisor if needed.
Why is my conveyancing taking so long?
Common causes are local-authority search backlogs, unanswered enquiries from the other side, mortgage-offer delays, missing management packs on flats, and slow links in the chain.
Is the delay always my solicitor’s fault?
Often not — much delay is outside their control (the other side, lenders, search backlogs, the chain). Identify the true bottleneck before pressuring your own lawyer.
How do I escalate with a slow solicitor?
Ask for a call with the supervising partner, put your concerns and target date in writing, and stay firm but courteous. Firms have a complaints procedure as a last resort.
Can I do anything to avoid conveyancing delays?
Be the fast, organised party — return ID, forms and enquiries the day they arrive. A chain-free cash sale removes most delay points (mortgage, chain, some searches).
How fast can conveyancing be?
A standard sale often takes 8-12+ weeks, but a chain-free cash sale can complete in 7-28 days because the main delay points are removed.