Conveyancers drafted in to handle the cases of under-fire firm Simpson Millar insist they are working all hours to ensure transactions complete.

Criticism has continued to be directed at the firm this week by clients who say they still do not know if their sale or purchase will go through. Many say they have complained to the SRA and Legal Ombudsman about the service they have received.

Simpson Millar announced last month it would close its conveyancing department but this prompted a large number of resignations as staff found other firms. With complaints starting to mount up last week from clients who claimed to feel abandoned, an agreement was reached with national conveyancing service provider Conveyancing Expert Limited to provide outsourced support. The agreement resulted in 16 Simpson Millar staff transferring to Conveyancing Expert.

Gavin Wall, Conveyancing Expert chief executive, said its team had been working ‘non-stop’ to update clients and help them move home.

Wall said: ‘Many of the team generously worked over the weekend, and by a herculean effort have reviewed nearly a third of all live case matters in just two working days.

‘We have now allocated even more resource to the transactions with one simple aim; to get the valued clients of Simpson Millar updated, and their home move progressed in a meaningful manner.’

He added that clients should hear updates in the next week, with any immediate home moves completed or set up.

Chris Johnson, Simpson Millar’s director of injury and private practice, reiterated the firm’s apology to affected clients and stressed that progress is being made.

He added: ‘While we have helped hundreds of people successfully move home over the last few weeks, including many clients whose property transactions completed on Friday of last week, we acknowledge that we have seen the service provided to some of our conveyancing clients dip below our usual high standards.’

One client and first-time buyer told the Gazette this week that her solicitor left Simpson Millar on 31 August and she was told that cover was being sought. She said she called more than 30 times in a week but had no response.

After two weeks, she was assigned a new conveyancer, but with the move due to have been completed last week, her seller has threatened to pull out of the transaction due to the delay. She added that she was yet to receive any apology from Simpson Millar.

Other clients say they have been frustrated by their attempts to make a complaint, with the Legal Ombudsman saying that service providers have eight weeks to respond before the issue can be looked at – in most cases long after any planned completion date.

 

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