Can I use an unemployed lawyer

[Sapphira]

Hi, a wee bit advice from someone who knows, please.

I have just been made an offer on my property (I intend accepting it later today). Things should run smoothly and quickly as neither party is in a chain and no mortgages are involved except mine which will be paid back to my building society on settlement.

Now, regarding the conveyancing, I have a friend, who has a friend, who is a qualified lawyer (will get back to you when I know what field she is qualified in). She is unemployed and is seriously looking for work. Meanwhile, I wonder if I would be able to use her to do the legal side of selling my property.

Am I being naive or is there any reason that she would not be allowed to do this work?

Thanks so much

Sapphira

[Richard Webster]

If she is a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer and she has a practising certificate and professional indemnity insurance, the answer is "Yes". if she doesn't have a client account you will have problems with the financial side.

What sometimes happens is that you in theory do the work and the lawyer helps you with the forms etc. However as she would then only be in the background the problems multiply over how she can give the necessary professional undertakings etc.

So there are a lot of issues that will probably make it unviable.

Also unless he really understands conveyancing will she really be a help? I wouldn't deal with accident claims or employment law because I don't know enough about them.

[love-home]

Personally I wouldn't.
I have never known a lawyer to be unemployed, unless they were incompetent and so unemployable.
In which case why would you wnat to emplo him / her?

[Libby]

Thank you both. I suppose I was both wanting to save money and give someone a break.

Not always a good idea with something quite so serious as a property deal!

Thanks again

Sapph

[brian]

At the end of the day, you need to employ a company with all the tools already at their displosal, with the experience to use them.

Let solicitors worry about employing solicitors - that isn;t your job, and it's not worth the hassle of trying to do so.

[Luke Owen]

It's worth appointing a lawyer who has practiced recently, the law changes