Why choose a solicitor for conveyancing

Conveyancing is the name given to the legal process of buying and selling property and is usually completed by a conveyancing solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. This article should help you decide how to choose a property conveyancer and why it is best to use a conveyancing solicitor to carry out the legal process of your property transaction.

When to appoint a conveyancing solicitor

In our guide to buying property we discussed the property buying process and highlighted that you should enlist the legal services of a property conveyancer before making any formal offers. This is because when you do make an offer an estate agent will request the contact details of your conveyancing solicitor so they can open up the proceedings with the seller’s property conveyancer.

The conveyancer’s responsibilities

Your chosen conveyancer will be responsible for arranging several key aspects of your property transaction. They will make you aware of all the costs involved with buying a property such as stamp duty tax, which is a common cost, and (if applicable) chancel repair liabilities, which are less common as they apply to property that is situated near a church. A conveyancer will make sure your mortgage provider has the correct documentation regarding the property, the seller and yourself. Your conveyancer will also carry out essential searches with local authorities, utility services and other services to ensure no financial liabilities are passed on from the previous owners. They will draft and check the property purchasing contracts and they will also process the financial transactions between you and the seller along with any incurred costs relating to the property purchase.

Choosing a property conveyancer

One of the best ways to find a property conveyancer can be to speak to family and friends about who they have used to complete a property transaction. However, it often pays to enlist the services of an accredited conveyancing solicitor because you can be confident that their standards are consistently high and you know that they have a wealth of experience and knowledge of the conveyancing process.

Accreditation

All solicitors who are practising law in England and Wales must be registered with the Law Society, all solicitors practicing law in Northern Ireland must be registered with The Law Society of Northern Ireland and all solicitors practising law in Scotland must be registered with The Law Society of Scotland. You can use these websites to find conveyancing solicitors in your area.

All solicitors are qualified to be property conveyancers but solicitors who reach and maintain a high standard of conveyancing, which is monitored by their associated law society, will be accredited by the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS).Therefore, if you choose a conveyancing solicitor who is accredited you know that they are regularly monitored and regulated to maintain a high standard of legal advice and client representation and you will benefit hugely from their experience and knowledge.

At Rollingsons our residential property services covers all aspects of property conveyancing. For more information or to arrange an initial consultation, please contact us on 0207 7611 4848.