How to Choose a Good Solicitor for Conveyancing
Discover How to Find a Good Conveyancing Solicitor
Just when you thought that finding the right home was all you needed to do and you’ve agreed to an offer, you discover that it’s not the end. You’ve got one final step to do, and it involves some pretty intense legal work called “conveyancing”. As that classic, animated TV dad likes to say — D’oh!
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a veteran homeowner, you’ll need some legal help to move forward. So, it’s time to find yourself a solicitor for conveyancing. However, the conveyancing process in the UK is notoriously slow and pricey. Double d’oh!
If you’re based in England or Wales, read on! Need a conveyancer in Scotland? Now that’s a whole different bag of beans.
Before you can truly call your new home your own, you need to choose a solicitor or conveyancer to help with the legal nitty gritty details. But what is a solicitor? Are solicitors and conveyancers the same? More importantly: how do you find the right one for your needs? We’ll answer all those questions and more here 👇
This article covers
What is conveyancing?
To put it simply, conveyancing is the act of legally transferring property from one owner to another. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy step to complete, and it can take weeks — sometimes even months (!!!) — to complete. The length of time of your specific conveyancing process depends on a few factors, such as the complexity of the ownership transfer.
Overall, the conveyancing process typically involves these stages:
- Instructing (hiring) a solicitor or conveyancer
- The pre-contract stage
- Searches
- Contract exchanges
- Completion Day
- Post-completion
As you might have guessed, the conveyance process isn’t something that you can handle on your own. You’re going to need to enlist a conveyancing specialist if you want to do this according to the book — and be sure that you won’t face any issues with your new home down the road!
What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and a solicitor?
Whether you’re buying or selling a home in the UK, you’ll need the services of a licensed conveyancer or a conveyancing solicitor. Both conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers are qualified professionals who can handle the legal aspects of property transactions.
So, same same, but different? Not entirely. While the two conveyancing specialists are similar, there are a few key distinctions:
Qualifications
A solicitor is an attorney who has earned a law degree, passed the Legal Practice Course, and served an apprenticeship of at least two years. In particular, a conveyancing solicitor specialises in real estate law, just like an orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor who specialises in everything to do with the human musculoskeletal system. Practising solicitors in England and Wales must be members of the Law Society and subject to oversight by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA).
On the other hand, licensed conveyancers are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) and hold a professional qualification in property law and conveyancing.
Services
A solicitor is an attorney who has earned a law degree, passed the Legal Practice Course, and served an apprenticeship of at least two years. In particular, a conveyancing solicitor specialises in real estate law, just like an orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor who specialises in everything to do with the human musculoskeletal system. Practising solicitors in England and Wales must be members of the Law Society and subject to oversight by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA).
On the other hand, licensed conveyancers are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) and hold a professional qualification in property law and conveyancing.
Regulation
Conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers are both held to the same high standards of ethics and service by their respective professional organisations.
Both types of conveyancing professionals must carry professional indemnity insurance to safeguard their clients from financial loss in the event of mistakes or negligence. If an error is made during conveyancing that results in financial loss for the client, the professional indemnity insurance will pay for the client’s damages.
Cost
Because their expertise is purely within conveyancing and lower operating costs, licensed conveyancers may be more cost-effective than solicitors. The final price of the service, however, will be based on the nature of the business deal and the degree of assistance needed.
When should I hire a conveyancing specialist?
Our honest answer? Hire one as soon as possible!
Most homebuyers and sellers don’t hire a conveyancing specialist until they have an offer or a listing for the property they wish to buy. Avoid doing this at all costs!!
Back in the day, this was common practice because most people wanted to avoid having to fork out any money before finalising an offer. However, these days, most conveyancing services operate on a “no completion, no fee” basis, eliminating this risk entirely! 🙌
So, hire a solicitor as soon as you start seriously considering the sale or purchase of a home. Instructing a conveyancing specialist early on will save you a lot of time and stress down the road.
Who should I hire: a solicitor or a conveyancer?
Whether one hires a licensed conveyancer or a conveyancing solicitor honestly depends on the nature of the transaction but also personal preference. Overall, it’s crucial to hire a competent specialist who can guide you through the conveyancing procedure and answer any questions that may arise.
It’s important to remember that both lawyers and licensed conveyancers must adhere to rigorous rules and regulations as a condition of practising their professions. As a result, the most crucial aspect of picking between the two is making sure that the professional you hire is competent, has relevant experience, and can give you the degree of assistance and support you need for your specific transaction.
We’ll get to the things you need to consider when hiring a conveyancing specialist in the next section 😉
Things to consider before hiring someone for conveyancing
Right, now to the good stuff. Much like most things in life — including buying a home — there are a great many things that you need to weigh before making a final decision. Choosing a conveyancing service is no different!
So, when deciding whether to hire a solicitor or a conveyancer, you should consider:
1. The complexity of the transaction
A licensed conveyancer may be the best choice if the real estate transaction is simple, such as the purchase or sale of a freehold property with no complex legal difficulties. However, a solicitor with broader legal skills may be more appropriate if the transaction involves leasehold properties, shared ownership or other legal concerns.
2. The level of service required
Solicitors and licensed conveyancers can both provide assistance at varying levels of complexity, from simple conveyancing to full legal representation. A solicitor tends to be the preferable choice if you need legal advice or services beyond conveyancing, such as will drafting or dispute resolution.
3. The cost
Conveyancing rates, as we’ve mentioned previously, can vary widely from one solicitor or conveyancer to the next; therefore, it is essential to ask for a detailed estimate of all fees and costs before hiring anyone. Be sure to inquire about any other expenses you might incur, such as search fees or stamp duty.
4. Your personal preference
Honestly, personal preferences play a big role in whether you choose a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor. You might opt to hire a solicitor because of their high standing in the community, their apparent knowledge in the field, or because of an existing working relationship. Conveyancers are preferred by some people because of the lesser charges they often incur or because of the fact that they focus solely on conveyancing.
Or you might have had a personal recommendation given to you by a trusted family member or a friend, so you might want to go with them instead!
4. Your personal preference
Honestly, personal preferences play a big role in whether you choose a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor. You might opt to hire a solicitor because of their high standing in the community, their apparent knowledge in the field, or because of an existing working relationship. Conveyancers are preferred by some people because of the lesser charges they often incur or because of the fact that they focus solely on conveyancing.
Or you might have had a personal recommendation given to you by a trusted family member or a friend, so you might want to go with them instead!
5 tips to finding the right conveyancing service
Sometimes it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack when trying to find a good conveyancing solicitor. Do you take the lead and choose without input from others, or do you rely on the advice of those closest to you? Do you look for the most affordable rates? Could you simply look up reviews online and pick the highest-rated one? That’s a great idea, right?
Nope! 😬
When looking for someone to help with the conveyancing process of your future new home, you need to be vigilant. Here are our top tips for finding the right person for you:
1. Look into their experience
Regardless of profession, be sure to choose a conveyancing specialist with a solid reputation and plenty of expertise with deals like yours. Ensure that the professional you hire has a history of satisfied customers by reading reviews, recommendations and testimonies they’ve received from their prior clients.
If you need help with conveyancing, it’s best to hire a firm with seasoned attorneys rather than one full of legal interns. Don’t be shy about inquiring about the credentials and experience of your prospective lawyer. Overall, be sure to only work with a law firm that can provide evidence of their competence!
3. Test their communication skills
Communication is key — especially when instructing a conveyancing specialist! Having access to a professional who can respond to your queries and provide updates at any point in the conveyancing process is crucial. Before committing to their services, make sure to inquire about their availability and preferred methods of contact.
4. Get multiple quotes
If you’re working with a trustworthy conveyancer, they’ll lay out everything you’ll be charged for upfront. The process of hiring a solicitor to handle the acquisition or sale of a home should be open and comprehensible from the outset.
So, we highly recommend that you get multiple quotes from several conveyancing firms before settling on one. When settling on a single expert, it’s wise to weigh their reputation, experience, and pricing.
5. Don’t take the real estate agent’s recommendation
As nice as your estate agent may be, we highly recommend not jumping the gun and hiring the conveyancing service that they recommend.
The real estate industry is facing a number of financial issues that can be mitigated by partnerships with attorneys. An estate agent’s recommendation of a conveyancer is common. In most cases, this is due to a contractual obligation to receive payment from the client. As a result, you may not get the same quality of service as if you had found your own conveyancing professional.
Well, unless their recommendation really is the best option, of course!
SlothMove’s good conveyancing service checklist
As a bonus, here is our checklist to determining whether a conveyancing specialist is a good one:
- Specialises in residential conveyancing
- You know exactly who you’ll be working with
- You have their direct contact information
- They communicate with you often with updates
- They operate on a “no completion, no fee” basis
- They are on your mortgage lender’s approved panel
- They provide you with a cost breakdown and description of the services they’ll provide upfront
Final Thoughts
Having to update your address with various services, moving homes — especially when you’re buying a home — can be a pain. Add conveyancing to the mix, and the process of buying or selling a house can seem like a headache. But it really doesn’t have to be.
It’s crucial to do your homework in order to find a reliable conveyancing service that works for you. Be sure to follow all the tips we’ve outlined in this guide so you can find a reliable and trustworthy conveyancer or solicitor to help you through the conveyancing process!
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