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I can recall conveyancing fees going off the scale, downwards sadly, in 1973 and it becoming a free for all, well almost free anyway! The Austin Mitchell fiasco in 1984 and his private member's bill lead to the creation of the Licensed conveyancer. inevitably the combination undermined the economies of many small practices.

After that all other work, apart from probate, had to stand on its own feet economically speaking. This meant that the junior partner kicking around the local, yes they once had local, Magistrates' Court between filing divorce petitions at £40 a time if not on Green Form, yes remember that, legal aid, could make as much as the senior partner doing exclusively conveyancing and probate. This in turn started the juniors flexing their muscles a bit more and wanting a larger slice of the cake.

The removal of scale fees in 1973 and Austin Mitchell's private member's bill in 1984 did a lot more damage to our profession than is commonly appreciated.

Oh, yes, did I forget to mention PII premiums in 1975? They didn't help either! And the trouble with a conveyancing claim is that it can make a property unsellable, or even uninhabitable, and a mortgage over it valueless.

TGIF!

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