Electronic Reports on Title
Life is extremely busy, and we would all like a magic wand to make our lives much easier. But, is technology really the answer? I believe technology is only a partial solution to the problem. Clearly, technology is likely to speed things up, however both the approach and the product must be chosen with great […]
Conveyancing fees ARE rising as demand outstrips supply
Figures obtained by Today’s Conveyancer suggest that conveyancers are increasing their fees in response to the challenges presented by housing market demand. In response to reports over the last week in the the estate agency and legal press that conveyancers are “hiking” prices, we can reveal that across England and Wales, prices have increased by […]
Stamp Duty petition now requires Parliament to respond
A Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) petition launched last month which requires the current SDLT holiday to be triggered upon exchange of contracts rather than completion now has the attention of the Government. The petition, which was first launched in April by Christopher Holland, a senior offshore surveyor at UTEC NCS Survey, has now reached […]
PII and Start-ups
The past year has certainly provided many challenges to this industry but we shouldn’t let that overshadow the fact that we’re at an exciting time in the development of conveyancing services. The last few years have seen an explosion of innovation with the development of new tools and technology that are revolutionising the home buying […]
Homebuyer/Sellers’ behaviour adapts to an evolving industry
The conveyancing landscape was a lot different before Covid-19 was on the scene and now over 12 months later the sector post-pandemic has changed the habits and behaviours of buyers/sellers when purchasing their homes. In what has been described as a ‘mad’ housing market, a growing numbers of property buyers are making offers on homes […]
Conveyancing recruitment expert’s view of the sector
With conveyancing job advertisements continuing to climb due to the stamp duty holiday, the government’s new mortgage scheme and overall impact of the pandemic continuing to change the shape of conveyancer’s professional working lives and the market, Dan Bowman, Director of recruitment company, Be Legal Ltd, gave his views and experiences on the conveyancing recruitment […]
Housebuilding industry continues to face difficulties
New-build price hikes could be on the cards following a warning from leading industry figures. Price rises in materials are set to make new build homes more expensive according to sector experts which could have an impact on First time buyers wanting to get on the property ladder. The chief executives of the Builders Merchants […]
Upfront property information one way to improve conveyancing process
There has been lots of noise over recent weeks regarding upfront property information. The introduction of the Buying and Selling Property Information (BASPI) dataset by the Home Buying and Selling group on 15th March began a lot of discussion. Many others in the sector have come out to show their support, with the Conveyancing Assocation’s […]
Work-From-Anywhere Conveyancing
How conveyancers work has changed—and it could be for the better for you and your firm. For a lot of conveyancing professionals, it was previously unthinkable that it was possible to work from home. The past two years have shown that it’s not just possible but very manageable for conveyancers and other legal professionals to […]
Why the government have got it wrong on Stamp Duty holiday
When the Government first announced a Stamp Duty holiday in July 2020, it seemed like the ideal solution to boost a market dealt a hammer blow by the first national lockdown and the shock of COVID-19. Transaction numbers plummeted between April and May 2020 as the housing market was forced to close completely. So, when […]
Ochresoft data reveals residential property conveyancing rollercoaster
New data released by Ochresoft – the legal workflow software specialist for property and private client lawyers – assesses the shifting ratio between the number of new residential property instructions versus the number of completions and now highlights the challenging ‘rollercoaster’ conditions facing conveyancers and property lawyers during 2021. This data compares instruction volumes versus […]
Updated Practice Guide: First registrations (PG1)
There has been an update published in the following practice guide: First registrations (PG1) Guidance for conveyancers on how to register unregistered estates in land for the first time (practice guide 1). Page Summary : This guide deals with the procedure to be followed when applying for first registration of unregistered estates in land. It […]
Efficiency measures to manage client expectations
Written by Priscilla Sinder, Managing Director at Property Conveyancing Consultancy Ltd. In this short article I will look at two quick efficiency measures that can be implemented with very little cost but can reduce unnecessary calls and emails from clients chasing for their Title Information Documents. In today’s climate (excluding the hard conditions imposed on […]
Professional indemnity insurance policies must provide clarity on cyber-related risks
The Law Society has today voiced its support of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as it consults on proposed changes to the minimum terms and conditions (MTCs) for professional indemnity insurance (PII) policies so they’re clearer on cyber-related risks. The SRA’s consultation response is in reaction to demands from the insurance industry for PII policies […]
New Training Academy contributes to 40% growth in conveyancing staff
O’Neill Patient (ONP) has set up a Training Academy to bring new blood into the conveyancing industry and has welcomed 79 new starters in the first four months of 2021. This new recruitment means ONP’s head count for conveyancing sale and purchase has increased by 40% since the start of the year as it continues […]
London firms fell short during the pandemic
A study of top London organisations – including a number of leading lawyers – has revealed almost half (47%) of firms expect call volumes to increase over the next few months – yet many struggled to manage their switchboard calls or prioritise customer service during the pandemic. The outsourced communications provider – which handles more […]
Mental Health Survey – how are you feeling?
We’re re-running our mental health survey to establish how our conveyancing friends and readers are feeling as the impending Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday looms, and whether the gradual lifting of restrictions across the country has impacted our mood. The survey takes a couple of minutes and you can have your say here. The […]
Professional Indemnity Insurance Renewals – Creating confidence for your insurer
The latest details for the next Minerva conversation has been released. This series of webinars has brought together some of the best influencers, regulators and experts within the industry. This time sees the team from Insurance experts Gallaghers’ Risk Team provide advice around achieving favourable terms, how to mitigate and minimise risk when applying from […]
Closure of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund
All solicitors should be concerned by the forthcoming closure of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund, set up years ago to effectively provide insurance cover for solicitors against claims and the money in the Fund was provided by solicitors. Since the year 2000, solicitors have had to buy insurance on the open market and the Fund has […]
Land Data releases Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence Shortlist
Land Data, the National Land Information Service (NLIS) regulator, has today revealed the shortlist of finalists for their upcoming 2021 Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence. After a 2-month period of judging the shortlist is now finalised. Entries and nominations were submitted by solicitors, conveyancers, customer service experts and local land charges personnel. […]
