Recommended Real Estate legal firms

[M_Q]

Does anyone has any recommendations? Pref. cheap and good? What should i look out for?

I did a google and found http://www.hg.org/law-firms/Real-Estate/Singapore.html, not sure if it's suffice.

thanks!

[Laguna]

ChEck with the bank which u take loan from and use their panel.
Then u will hv fee absorbed by the bank

Very standard service and all lawyers are the same.

[rymccondo77]

Does anyone has any recommendations? Pref. cheap and good? What should i look out for?

I did a google and found http://www.hg.org/law-firms/Real-Estate/Singapore.html, not sure if it's suffice.

thanks!


You can try those law firms that are on the CPF board's panel of conveyancing lawyers. These law firms are likely to be more familiar with procedures and policies related to the use of CPF to pay for property purchases.

The link for the list of lawyers found on the CPF board is found here:

http://ask-us.cpf.gov.sg/Home/Hybrid/themes/CPF/Uploads/Housing/Panel_of_law_firms.pdf

[carbuncle]

Rodyk seems to be popular with developers...

[M_Q]

thanks guys..

@Laguna, yes i did but he took forever to give me the contacts..:doh: so i thought i better not rely on him.

[rymccondo77]

thanks guys..

@Laguna, yes i did but he took forever to give me the contacts..:doh: so i thought i better not rely on him.

Just a word of caution - the law firms that are in the bank's panel are not necessarily good. I know of people who used the bank's panel of law firms but received poor service. In other words, the bank may not have verified the quality of the law firms in its panel.

Sometimes, it is the lawyer assigned by the law firm to handle the case that is inexperienced (especially with CPF procedures) / provides bad service.

[shellshox]

Yes, some of these bank recommended lawyers are really bad! They got my mailing address wrong, my cheque amounts wrong, WTF! Especially those that are from Toa Payoh HDB hub....

[newbie11]

try YLP legal firm

[evergreen]

I used Capital Law Corporation at HDB hub which UOB uses and I got full legal subsidy. Lawyer was Grace Chan. She answered all my questions (I know that I ask more questions than the average person). The receptionists are polite and organised. Everything has gone along smoothly so far.

[lycheeice]

I used Tan Andrea Seah at 90 cecil street.
They have 2 branches, hdb hub & cecil street.
I engaged Anthony Tan (cecil street) a number of times since few yrs ago.
Reasons for going back to them all the time are the way they handle cases very prompt, so far no mistakes, the legal secretaries are experienced and the best is they are very on the ball (reminding me in advance on the things to be done, replying to my emails, putting up requests to the other party's law firm).

I used them when i took DBS and HSBC loans.

I'd advise you to call your bank/Tan Andrea Seah to enquire if they are on your bank's panel. They dont charge the lowest fees, but the lawyer charged me ok cos existing customer. I ever came across my buyer's law firm made simple mistake in the address.

Legal subsidy plays a big part to how much you would hv to top up or no paying a cent. The only thing i wish Tan Andrea Seah could do is using better quality envelopes for mails but i can live with it.

You may google for their tel, ask for lisa (buying) or mag (selling), refinancing (should be lisa).

[M_Q]

Yes, some of these bank recommended lawyers are really bad! They got my mailing address wrong, my cheque amounts wrong, WTF! Especially those that are from Toa Payoh HDB hub....

hmm.. my banker has finally replied me and he recommended Lor 4 TPY. Should i be concerned?? :scared-4:

[M_Q]

Just a word of caution - the law firms that are in the bank's panel are not necessarily good. I know of people who used the bank's panel of law firms but received poor service. In other words, the bank may not have verified the quality of the law firms in its panel.

Sometimes, it is the lawyer assigned by the law firm to handle the case that is inexperienced (especially with CPF procedures) / provides bad service.

But seriously, what constitutes good and bad? Address and cheque mistakes? What else should i be take note of?

[Regulators]

Run by jennifer yeo, wife of george yeo. Think they do a lot of debt collection for banks, husband was trade minister then so business wise for YLP jia buay liao, if you go sub court got a tray to file court documents specially for YLP. I won't go with YLP coz i think business comes too easy for them. I would go with PKWA


try YLP legal firm

[scruffy]

rajah & tann, rodyk or khattar wong. they are on most banks panel.

[rymccondo77]

But seriously, what constitutes good and bad? Address and cheque mistakes? What else should i be take note of?

Use a lawyer that is familiar with CPF procedures. And as mentioned by others, a good lawyer would provide prompt service and be "on the ball".

Ask the banker to give you more law firms to choose from, if he has only recommended one lawyer.

[lycheeice]

What constitues good & bad...hmm... normally I will go thru the legal docs and correspondences exchanged between law firms &/or developer. Tho these documents can be a thick stack of papers but they are very much for your nec. information. Also go thru the issues addressed in the letters to you for your actions; plus ensure any requests which you want your lawyer to put forward get replies and be documented in papers. Lastly, the sums calculated should be correct. If you intend the legal process to be completed slighly sooner, check with your lawyer whether they can do it for you, esp in view of the strict timeline required by cpf (if using cof). You may wish to get official reply on the cost of the legal fees, what are in/excluded before engaging any law firms - eg. Is mortgage stamp fees absorbed (unlikely?), legal fee for fresh sale agreement with developer's lawyer is absorbed?, search fees, gst, whether the law firm can work with the subsidy amount given by your bank, etc.

Maybe the more experienced forumers here could give better advise than the above.

P/s just sharing cos i have also learned from reading the posts by the forumers here, apart from the wit unleashed by you guys and ladies.

[rattydrama]

those who provide estimate schedule, percentage of progressive payment and the actual amount + a column for you to put in the actual payment dates would be useful.

[M_Q]

Use a lawyer that is familiar with CPF procedures. And as mentioned by others, a good lawyer would provide prompt service and be "on the ball".

Ask the banker to give you more law firms to choose from, if he has only recommended one lawyer.

I was told by my banker that i cannot change the law firm he recommended, unless i pay for some fee. But my argument was, i wasn't very comfy with the one he recommended, so in the event this lawyer doesn't provide the service i expect, who's responsible??

Is there such a thing that i can't change the lawyer??? The one that the banker recommended wasn't as detailed and SMS to say bring cheque book.. i was like wtf..:mad:

[newbie11]

No such thing. There are more than 1 law firms on banks panel. R u using any broker? Did the prop agent recommend it? How much is legal fees and loan quantum?

[lycheeice]

My law firm did inform me to bring cheque book, and they told me they would tell me what cheques to be wriiten on the day of my appt with the lawyer. Tho i knew about the amounts to be issued and the payees, i only prepared the cheques in advance without the payees and wrote the payees on the cheques during my meeting with the lawyer. Some of the cheques were addressed to the law firm which the lawyer would explain the purpose of doing so. my lawyer would then ask his staff to give me the photocopies of the cheques i issued and the documents i signed on that day.

I have no idea if one can change the lawyer after engaging, but i find it unusual that the bank didnt give you a few options to choose since they have a list of law firms. Some bankers will recommend their clients the better law firms.

Personally I feel having a helpful banker does really make a lot of difference when dealing with matters with loan, law firm &/or mortgage insurance. My experience with a dbs banker was not positive (she later left the bank). Later i had one with hsbc and she is a very responsible person and experienced, thus i went back to her again. I am the sort who prefer to work with the same people if they have positive attitude. But of cos provided the circumstances involved are acceptable (eg. banker's offers vs another bank). In my case my lawyer is the same one i took up with when i was with dbs.

Rattydrama has given a helpful advice too :)

[Lord Anus]

Just a word of caution - the law firms that are in the bank's panel are not necessarily good. I know of people who used the bank's panel of law firms but received poor service. In other words, the bank may not have verified the quality of the law firms in its panel.

Sometimes, it is the lawyer assigned by the law firm to handle the case that is inexperienced (especially with CPF procedures) / provides bad service.

These are very standardised templates for single property transactions. Most of the time it is the paralegals who do the data entry work, not the lawyers. After the paralegal is done entering all the info on the standard templates, she will pass on to the lawyer, who will then sign off on it.

The lawyers do the big time transactions, where got time to bother with your kuching kurack small unit.

[Lord Anus]

Yes, some of these bank recommended lawyers are really bad! They got my mailing address wrong, my cheque amounts wrong, WTF! Especially those that are from Toa Payoh HDB hub....

These are very standardised templates for single property transactions. Most of the time it is the paralegals who do the data entry work, not the lawyers. After the paralegal is done entering all the info on the standard templates, she will pass on to the lawyer, who will then sign off on it.

The lawyers do the big time transactions, where got time to bother with your kuching kurack small unit.

[M_Q]

No such thing. There are more than 1 law firms on banks panel. R u using any broker? Did the prop agent recommend it? How much is legal fees and loan quantum?

No, didnt use a broker. Basically i took the recommendations listed earlier and called for a quote.


My law firm did inform me to bring cheque book, and they told me they would tell me what cheques to be wriiten on the day of my appt with the lawyer. Tho i knew about the amounts to be issued and the payees, i only prepared the cheques in advance without the payees and wrote the payees on the cheques during my meeting with the lawyer. Some of the cheques were addressed to the law firm which the lawyer would explain the purpose of doing so. my lawyer would then ask his staff to give me the photocopies of the cheques i issued and the documents i signed on that day.

I have no idea if one can change the lawyer after engaging, but i find it unusual that the bank didnt give you a few options to choose since they have a list of law firms. Some bankers will recommend their clients the better law firms.

Personally I feel having a helpful banker does really make a lot of difference when dealing with matters with loan, law firm &/or mortgage insurance. My experience with a dbs banker was not positive (she later left the bank). Later i had one with hsbc and she is a very responsible person and experienced, thus i went back to her again. I am the sort who prefer to work with the same people if they have positive attitude. But of cos provided the circumstances involved are acceptable (eg. banker's offers vs another bank). In my case my lawyer is the same one i took up with when i was with dbs.

Rattydrama has given a helpful advice too

My banker did not offer a list to choose. And i do appreciate the law firm i contacted has taken time to speak and explain the breakdown of the respective costs and what to prepare yourself with, rather than an SMS detailing what to bring. That's service to a newbie like myself.

[newbie11]

ok.. was concerned if there is any hanky panky for additional legal fees that goes into comm to the referral party. that said, make sure the legal fees is mkt rate and is nett.

[M_Q]

oic, thanks newbie11. The law firm i engaged was detailed in telling me besides the legal fees, i'll need to include GST, stamp duty etc. It was clear what i should be expecting. :cheers1:

[newbie11]

as i dont know your loan quantum, new/ refin, pte/hdb, i would say 2.5k is the median.

[M_Q]

as i dont know your loan quantum, new/ refin, pte/hdb, i would say 2.5k is the median.

Yes it's pretty standard.. but there are additional fees e.g. CPF lawyer's fee, Stamp duty etc that is out of the 2.5K. Something that buyers will need to bear in mind when neg. with banks :)