Process for selling joint-owned house after break-up?

sapper

...well, thankfully I'm happily married and have no troubles in the romance department, but I own 50% of an investment property with a friend with whom things have gotten decidedly frosty lately. We have decided to sell up, split the profits and walk away but I am not sure if we should both hire our own solicitor or if the two of us should just use the same solicitor we used to buy the house in the first place.

Just wondering what other people do in this situation eg. when a couple breaks up and decides to sell their house? Do they get two separate solictors to look after their own interests? How does it work when dealing with the contracts, title deeds, banks, purchasers, estate agents, land registry etc.? Does one solicitor take the lead and do all the donkey work re. the conveyancy and the other solicitor looks "over their shoulder"?

Or do people just agree on a single solicitor to look after both their interests equally?

the_syco

sapper wrote:

Or do people just agree on a single solicitor to look after both their interests equally?

Ensure they are not a friend, relation or work-mate of the other person. As low as this sounds, you may end up getting 50% of somehing, but not the entire sale.

Get someone you trust, and they do likewise, otherwise you leave yourself open to get a f**king.

Nevyn

You get seperate solictors.

Paulw

A single solicitor shouldn't represent you both since it's a conflict of interests.

You both need to hire separate solicitors. Best bet - ask a friend (not a mutual friend, if possible) to recommend a solicitor.