A Guide To Conveyancing

A conveyancer or appropriately licensed solicitor is the person responsible for the legal transfer of the title of properties from one person to another. There are two key stages to the process: the exchanging of contracts, which transfers the ‘equitable title,’ and the completion – at which the ‘legal title’ is passed over. To buy a property, it is essential to ensure that the seller has the full ownership of the property and is entitled to sell it. It is the responsibility of the conveyancer to ensure that the buyer receives the full titles with no limiting factors and to arrange all necessary contracts.

Consider whether a personal service is desired, or simply the best possible price. The best firms offer the perfect balance of these factors. Ultimately, once the buyer has chosen their legal support they must feel confident they are acting wisely, so it is important to do plenty of research before making arrangements with solicitors. Many companies offer conveyancing online, and for some this is acceptable whereas others prefer a more face to face approach. Look for conveyancing solicitors who are able to offer consultations locally, like those provided by Breens Solicitors in the West Midlands for example, if it is important that you can meet your solicitor in person.

Check whether your chosen legal representative is a member of an appropriate body, either the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Both of these bodies have websites upon which you can verify the membership of a particular solicitor or conveyancer. It is a requirement of membership to these groups that parties have appropriate indemnity insurance. This means that in the event of major legal defects in proceedings discovered after the completion of the sale, buyers will be able to make a claim or make suitable actions against the solicitor or conveyancer.

Solicitors acting as conveyancers do not always have specialist training, and often additionally work in other fields. In some cases, this might mean there is a risk that they would be unavailable to make appointments due to other more pressing commitments, or simply that they can provide only basic conveyancing, without the additional support of extensive background knowledge covering the risks and common problems which are possible occurrences during the purchase of a property.