Conveyancing continued to trigger more professional negligence claims against solicitors than other sectors last year - and there has been an increase in such claims arising from non-compliance with lenders' instructions, a survey showed last week.

Figures from Zurich Professional - the biggest underwriter of solicitors' indemnity - for September 2002 to December 2003 show that conveyancing accounted for 34% of all claims, up from 32% the previous year.

Commercial property and personal injury claims each rose by one percentage point to 13% and 11% respectively.

Wills and probate claims fell from 9% to 7% of all claims.

A statement from Zurich said that an increasing number of conveyancing claims arose from non-compliance with lender instructions.

Zurich also said that although matrimonial claims remained steady at 6% of the total, there was a growth in matrimonial claims arising from failure to make full disclosure.

It said: 'This is because increasingly both parties want their fair share of matrimonial assets - including property and pensions - and are willing to fight for what they believe they are due.'

Bernard Clarke, communications manager of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), urged solicitors to use the CML handbook.

He said: 'Any increase in the number of [residential property] claims is a little surprising.

The lenders' handbook is available on our Web site, so it should be straightforward for solicitors to check lenders' requirements easily.

We update the handbook quickly to reflect any changes and would urge solicitors to check carefully to make sure they are using the most up-to-date version.'

David Coughlan, head of Zurich Professional, said the overall number of claims - which the insurer did not reveal - has remained steady.

But he said he expected the cost of policies to increase again this year.

He said: 'Currently, insurers are discussing the Law Society's minimum terms and conditions [for indemnity policies], and any notion of where the price is heading will have to wait until this process is finished, but my opinion is that prices will continue to rise.'

Jeremy Fleming