Hattie Brannock
Solicitor · Head of residential property
Admitted 2008. Seventeen years of residential conveyancing, leasehold and new-build work.
Supervises every property file
Conveyancing & wills · Norwich
Why is my move taking so long?
Usually it is not your fault, and usually it is not ours. A move is a chain of people, and it can only exchange when every link is ready. Tap the houses to see what each one is waiting for, what we're doing about it, and what you can do.
Reading the mobile
- Grey roof: waiting on searches
- Birch: waiting on a mortgage offer
- Red roof: ready to exchange
The heavier the unfinished work, the further the mobile tips. When all four are ready it levels, and the keys drop.
Off balanceTap a house to change its status
You
What we're doing
What you can do
Every link is ready, so the mobile is level. We can agree a completion date with all four solicitors and exchange. The keys follow on completion day.
Where the weeks go
Seven stages, and who is holding each one
A typical freehold purchase with a mortgage and a short chain takes 12 to 16 weeks (sample timescale). These are the stages, the usual time each takes, and the most common reason it stalls.
1. You instruct us and we check ID
Days 1–3We send our client care letter with the fixed fee, check your ID electronically, and ask the seller's solicitor for the contract pack.
Stalls when: proof of where your deposit came from is missing. Gather bank statements early.2. The contract pack arrives
Weeks 1–2The seller's solicitor sends the draft contract, title and property forms. We read every page and list what needs asking.
Stalls when: the seller has not returned their forms. We tell you if that's the hold-up.3. Searches and enquiries
Weeks 2–6Local authority, water and environmental searches go off on day one. We raise written enquiries about anything unclear in the pack.
Stalls when: the council is slow. Some take six weeks; we quote you their date.4. Mortgage offer
Weeks 2–5Runs alongside searches. When the offer arrives we check its conditions against the title and the survey.
Stalls when: the lender asks for more documents, or the valuation comes in low.5. Our report and your signature
Weeks 6–9A plain-English report on the property, then you sign the contract and transfer. We book a call to walk you through it.
Stalls when: replies to enquiries are still outstanding further up the chain.6. Exchange of contracts
Weeks 8–12Every solicitor in the chain agrees one completion date, and contracts exchange by phone. From here the move is legally binding.
Stalls when: one link isn't ready. That's what the mobile above shows.7. Completion, keys and registration
1–4 weeks laterMoney moves, the estate agent releases the keys, and we pay Stamp Duty Land Tax and register you at HM Land Registry.
Keys usually by early afternoon, once the money reaches the end of the chain.
0 wks
Our typical freehold purchase, instruction to completion (sample figure)
0 day
Longest you wait for a reply to an email, in working days (sample promise)
£0
Extras you were not told about. Every add-on is listed in the prices below
0 people
Named on your file: who does the work, who helps, and who supervises
Price and service information
Every figure, on one page
Set out the way the Solicitors Regulation Authority asks: our fee, disbursements, VAT, what could change the price, the key stages, timescales, and who does the work. All prices are samples for this concept.
| Item | Net | VAT | Total |
|---|
Total, including VAT and disbursements (sample)£0.00
What could change the price
Key stages included
How long it takes
Who does the work
Who does the work
Four names you will actually hear from
Every file has a named lawyer who does the work and a named solicitor who supervises it. You get both email addresses on day one. People and photos are samples.
Owen Fenlake
Licensed conveyancer
Nine years running purchases and sales, including shared ownership and chains of five or more.
Supervised by Hattie Brannock
Priya Sandhurst
Conveyancing assistant
Three years. Orders searches, chases replies and sends your weekly update every Friday.
Supervised by Hattie Brannock
Margot Ellery
Solicitor · Wills and estates
Admitted 2012. Wills, lasting powers of attorney, probate and estate administration.
Supervised by Daniel Pell, partner (admitted 2001)
Wills & estates
A quieter door, at your own pace
Not everyone here is moving house. If you are planning ahead, or someone has died and you have been named as executor, start here. Nothing on this side is sales.
Fixed fees for wills and LPAs (samples)
- Single will£250 + £50 VAT£300.00
- Mirror wills for a couple£420 + £84 VAT£504.00
- Lasting power of attorney, per document£395 + £79 VAT, plus the Office of the Public Guardian's registration fee£474.00
- Will storage in our strongroomNo charge£0.00
Trusts, business property or assets abroad: we quote a fixed fee before starting. Margot Ellery does the work; Daniel Pell supervises.
How it works
- A 45-minute conversation at home, at our office or by video.
- Your draft arrives within 10 working days, in plain English.
- You sign with two independent witnesses; we can supply them.
- We store the original free and remind you to review it every five years.
0 of 6 done
The first few weeks: a gentle checklist
This list is general information and stays on your device. It is not legal advice about any particular estate.
If you'd like us to help
- Applying for the grant of probate only£1,450 + £290 VAT£1,740.00
- Grant plus full estate administrationEstimated range for a simple estate, plus VAT£3,600–£6,000
The full breakdown, disbursements and timescales are in the probate price tab. We start with a free 30-minute call, with no obligation.
Book the free call
Fixed quote
Tell us about your move
Two short steps. First a conflict check, so we know we are free to act for you. Then how to reach you. Your written quote arrives within one working day (sample promise).
- 01632 960 418 · Mon–Fri 8.30–5.30
- [email protected]
- 3 Tombland Yard, Norwich NR3 (sample address)
If something goes wrong
How to complain, and who else can help
We would rather hear about a problem early. Our full complaints procedure is free to request in writing or by email, in large print if you need it.
1
Tell us
Speak to the person handling your matter, or write to Daniel Pell, complaints partner (sample). We acknowledge within two working days and send our final response within eight weeks.
2
Legal Ombudsman
If you are unhappy with our final response, or eight weeks have passed, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman. Normally you must do this within six months of our final response, and within one year of the problem (or of when you found out about it).
legalombudsman.org.uk · 0300 555 0333
PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
3
Solicitors Regulation Authority
If you are worried about our behaviour, such as dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or another characteristic, you can raise it with the SRA.