Our profession has a reputation for being slow to adapt to change. Therefore, it should not surprise me that I find myself repeatedly dealing with solicitors who have not yet come to terms with the abolition of land and charge certificates.

When acting for a buyer now, the first thing I do on receipt of a draft contract is to turn to the office copies of the register entries to see whether there are any transfer or other deeds or plans referred to therein. More often than not, if there are, these have not been included in the package.


If sellers' solicitors cannot even read the office copies before sending them out, what chance will we have of receiving a complete seller's pack once these become obligatory?


Nick Smith, Wayman & Long, Sudbury, Suffolk