How to find a conveyancer or solicitor .

Buying or selling a house can be a puzzling process, especially if it’s your first time. So, once you get to that magic moment when an offer is agreed, you’d be forgiven for thinking the hard part of the process is behind you.

But, it’s exactly the time when you’ll need expert help from a property law professional who knows about the multitude of legal tasks that need to be completed before a sale can be finalised. This is the ‘conveyance’ - the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer.

Here’s our guide to finding a solicitor or conveyancer to get you over the final (often frustrating) hurdles:

1. Decide whether you need a conveyancer or a solicitor

Would you buy a full tool kit to fix a hinge on a door? Hopefully your answer is no. You’d just get a screwdriver - it’s the specific tool you need in the situation.

The choice between hiring a solicitor or a conveyancer is very similar.

• A conveyancer is a legally trained professional who deals with, and specialises solely in, the legal aspects of a house sale. They are well versed in all aspects of the conveyance process and can help you navigate a straight-forward transaction, but may not be able to help with more complex purchases or sales. They are regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).

• A solicitor is a fully qualified lawyer with a broader knowledge of law. This can be helpful in property sales that are more complex, such as issues over the ownership of the property involved (e.g. divorcing sellers using different solicitors) or boundary disputes. Solicitors will usually charge more than a conveyancer for their services. They are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and you should make sure their main expertise is in property law.

You don’t legally need a solicitor or conveyancer, but their expertise will help to simplify and speed up what can often be a long and drawn out process. Some lenders will also insist that you use a solicitor or conveyancer to mitigate any risks.

2. Decide if you want to do everything online or deal with a real person

There’s not a lot you can’t do online these days and buying a house is no different. There are lots of online legal services, which might be cheaper than your local solicitor. However, you may find the sale takes longer as they’re dealing with more sales at once, and it’s harder to chase if you’ve got an urgent issue or pressing deadline.

The pros are that everything is recorded digitally and there’s no need to post paperwork. Make sure you weigh up all your options before making a decision.

3. Ask friends and family for recommendations

Just like finding a good restaurant or hotel, it’s always good to get a recommendation from someone you trust when you start looking for a solicitor. Even though friends’ circumstances might have been different to yours, they’ll be able to tell you about the level of service they got, how the solicitor explained complicated issues and how proactive they were in moving a sale or purchase forward.

Your estate agent or financial advisor might recommend someone, but don’t just go with the name they give you without doing your own research. A recommendation doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the best price as the solicitor may pay commission to the person recommending them, which they could potentially add to your bill.

4. Research, then pick up the phone

Whether you’ve got a recommendation or not, or you’re going with an online option or someone in person, you’re going to want to do a bit of research yourself.

If you need a conveyancer, you can easily find a licensed conveyancer in your area on the CLC website.

If you need a solicitor, a great place to start is with the Law Society website, which lists all the relevant, approved law firms in your area. The firms that appear on this list are all regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

• The Law Society has a Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), which is a recognised quality standard for SRA-regulated firms in residential conveyancing. As solicitors aren’t regulated by the CLC, it’s an equivalent accreditation that demonstrates that the firm can provide the conveyancing advice and process expected.

Find a few names and numbers, then have a ring round and get prices from at least three, as fees can vary from firm to firm. Speaking to them on the phone will also give you an idea of the kind of people they are and how good their customer service is, which is really important when you’re looking for someone to guide you through what could be one of the most exciting, stressful and life-changing purchases you’ll ever make.

During your research, you may also see conveyancers offering a ‘no sale, no fee’ service. This means that, if the sale of the property falls through, you won’t need to pay the legal costs of the conveyancer or solicitor. You will, however, need to pay any third party fees for tasks already completed, such as conveyancing searches, property surveys and Land Registry fees.

5. Think about the practicalities

Buying a house typically means a couple of visits to your solicitor to sign paperwork and discuss certain options, so make sure you think about the logistics too. Of course, you can return papers by post and deal with a lot of issues remotely, but it might be useful to find a firm with offices you can pop in to on your lunch break, if you want things to move quickly.

However you find a solicitor to help you buy your home, make sure you ask lots of questions and are clear on what you need from them, to ensure you get the best possible service and get the keys to your new home as easily as possible.

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