White Cleland

"Very disappointed with the service we received. We had emailed our request in advance and what we asked for was not provided. They were only acting in their interest not ours."

"All the limited dealings I've had have proved easy, very helpful staff."

"I was referred to White Cleland for conveyancing services by a friend who had worked with a staff there on an engagement. Upon engaging White Cleland, I was not provided with a cost estimate prior to commencing services. I was informed that a contract of sale had been prepared and to come in the office to sign, which I when I was provided a cost estimate. I had a bill shock at this point but thought work has already started, so I'll just go with it. I wish I had terminated their services then if I knew the nightmare which was to follow. My circumstances were a bit out of the usual but not complicated, where I was purchasing my first home from my mum at market value. Upon visiting the office, White Cleland had informed me that due to the sale being related party, stamp duty had to be paid upfront and a refund application had to be lodged due to SRO's related party requirements and I was billed accordingly. I was fortunate to have the assistance of my mum, so I was able to proceed. A few weeks later through chance encounter, my mum found out that stamp duty does not need to paid if the transaction is at market value and can be proved. Upon confirming this exemption with the SRO, I approached White Cleland with this information who said they will get back to me. They subsequently verified this information with SRO and shortly after, send me an additional invoice billing me for their phone calls with the SRO. In addition, I was informed the exemption application would incur a fee and if the exemption was not approved by the SRO, stamp duty will need to be paid and a billable refund application will need to be put through. I expressed dissatisfaction with their service and did not agree to outrageous conditions because: 1. It's their responsibility to be informed in the provision of professional services, which has already been billed. 2. If they are charging me for an exemption application, its their responsibility to make sure they get what they need from me and if there is an issue, to resolve the dispute with the SRO as everything requested from me would have been provided. 3. Advice given by SRO indicated very straight forward requirements and therefore it's not a complex transaction to justify a potential refund application They then said their advice on stamp duty was based on me being unable to prove the market value. This is completely untrue because they never even asked me if I could prove and I had two bank valuations that would prove the sale price was at market value! Long story short, they refused to accept responsibility for their negligent advice and stood ground with the additional charges. I informed them I would like to terminate their services and to send me a final invoice. The final invoice included the additional charge, which i refused to pay and was prepared to lodge a formal complaint with legal services board. I managed to negotiate a settlement without the additional charges but what a painstaking experience it was dealing with White Cleland! Completely unprofessional and unreasonable behaviour no client should have to deal with, particularly when paying legal prices for non-legal services! I would rate them -5 if I was able to. P.S. The conveyancer we chose next was able to provide the same services for almost 1/3 of the cost without a stamp duty exemption application charge and any of the hassle that came with White Cleland! A When I reviewed the stamp duty exemption application submitted (which was approved by SRO), I felt it was straightforward enough I could have prepared it myself in 30 mins!"

"A friend of mine recommended White Cleland because their cousin worked at the firm. I was dealing with Rod who really let me down. 14 months ago I reached out to buy my first restaurant. After enquiring I was asked to sign a fees estimate which totalled around $5,500. Some of the costs outlined seemed excessive such as hundreds on printing and stationary needs.. but I went ahead regardless because I honestly thought I was being looked after and was in good hands having been referred. Moving forward I would call Rod to ask innocent questions as a client who was purchasing their first business. Rod was never available and would call me back sporadically, often after hours and well into the evening. This made me nervous as often I needed the questions answered on short notice for the Vendor and Landlord. Questions such as, "Will you come to the settlement?" and "Can you please explain the lease options to me?" were all valid questions that I assumed would be apart of the fees outlined. Unfortunately at the end of the month I received a invoice from White Cleland where Rod had charged me for 6 minute intervals on the phone - even when some of the questions were a 30 second yes or a no answer (which I would receive at 6.30pm or later) After voicing my concerns with reception and starting to dig deeper into the lack of service I was told it was because "Rod was moving offices to Rosebud and was really busy" Sounded like I was really appreciated as a client. So, after I couldn't get a hold of my solicitor, Rod, I decided to give up. It was stressful to buy the business and White Cleland didn't seem to value me as a client. As a result I decided to stop calling them and started looking for another solicitor. Not long after giving up on White Cleland I found a solicitor who completed my whole settlement and transfer of lease for $1200 (with as many questions as I wanted). White Cleland, I never got to meet anyone face to face, I received terrible and overpriced service and finally after I stopped chasing Rod I never heard back from anyone. Not even a follow up phone call to say "Sam we noticed your file is still open are you still buying the business?" I was still charged $1,462.30 for a few phone calls and receiving a templated letter of offer. Disappointed."

"Never having written a Will before I was a little hesitant about what to expect and what it would cost. Interestingly, the legal advice was to make sure we had Financial and Medical Power of Attorney's in place for the unknown. Wills came second. The service was excellent, the cost was reasonable and what I expected. Sure you can write a Will yourself cheaper, but a Will isn't everything. This is where quality legal advice is the best place to start and White Cleland are the best people to start obtaining that advice from."