Report comment

So disappointing to read as a conscientious conveyancer.

Such an unfortunate focus on a red herring for the conveyancing market, when the elephant in the room keeps being ignored – the quality of the conveyancer themselves, and the fact that any legal business can badge their office cleaner as a conveyancer; we could do it tomorrow, and the quality on offer in the market place now, lends support.

So instead of addressing that fact, and the consequential delays, the errors that are not spotted and clients unsuspectingly are sitting on in their new houses, the public will instead have to face a one size fits all idea of ignoring their personal circumstances....when solicitors must already state fees clearly upfront OR they cannot recover them, AND muddle 'goods' with 'services', and just have lawyers shout look at our ‘cheap website prices’

With standards as low as they are in the conveyancing market place – yes, my last email before lunch today was to tell another law firm asking about building regulations that “the saniflow toilet system predates 2005’ – the last thing we want to lead the public into thinking, is that price is any factor at all to use when selecting a conveyancer. It is not. Ask about Lexcel and CQS, ask about the law degree or legal experience of the person that will touch your house move, ask for a guarantee that their quote will not change etc.

Some of us conveyancers offer a seriously good legal service, and we want to face the very best conveyancing from others - so deals zip through for all concerned - but 70% of our time is faced with chases down poor performing conveyancers. We need focus on improving the quality of conveyancing; the public must have that.

Anonymous 13 November 09:01 - spot on. We know of cheap headline quotes with the final bill being excessive because inbuilt into the tiny fine print are extra charges which will ALWAYS apply and which other firms do as a usual part of the conveyancing itself. Bad enough when you separate out filling in a stamp duty form (though apparently doing that and having done that may mean you are on the hook for implied full advice on stamp duty)

What would happen is a new rush of websites saying fees at £50 plus VAT, but with caveats to say extra charges will apply depending on the specific circumstances that come to light when the contract papers are received, or your title deeds, or the estate agent memorandum of sale. So nothing changes except the public focus on cheap price, and they face an even lower quality legal service where law firms trade on low price.

When price is focussed on, there is only ever one direction, let's not be naïve, as it is everywhere in life – like estate agents and the online model – the race to cheaper and cheaper, corners cut etc. Differentiation over quality? No it doesn’t happen.