Silent whispers

Having come late to the game and being a part-timer only, 1 am no expert in conveyancing.

However, my reading of rule 19.2 of the Guide to the Professional Conduct of Solicitors is as follows: when acting for the buyer, most lawyers would agree that it is inappropriate to talk to the seller without the consent of the seller's solicitor.

It seems to me that, if one should not talk to the seller, one should not talk to his agent either.

When acting for a buyer, at the first opportunity, when called by the estate agent involved, 1 explain as courteously as 1 can that 1 am not able to talk with him because of the guide.

I should say that when 1 mention this to the often harassed solicitor on the other side, the usual response is 'what a marvellous idea.

1 could reduce the amount of time 1 spend talking to estate agents if I adopted the same line when 1 act for buyers'.

An added bonus is that it seems to reduce the amount of Chinese whispers that surround the process of conveyancing and make a tough job harder.

James Gordon, Gordons, London