Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Conveyancers in the fast lane
I went to watch the F1 movie on Friday evening – I even finished in my office a little early to get to the cinema on time, which is unheard of from me on a Friday. And I have to say that I was not disappointed with the film. If you haven’t seen the film […]
The future of legal technology and workplace efficiency in conveyancing transactions
For decades, conveyancing has been characterised by manual processes, duplicated effort, and protracted communication. In today’s fast-paced and digitally connected world, there is consensus that this model is unsustainable. There is mounting pressure from clients for ever-better service, regulators for compliance improvements, and competitors for technical innovation. The conveyancing legal technology sector, which was once […]
Solicitor warns TA6 changes will slow conveyancing process
A new Property Information Form (TA6) being trialled by a working group of conveyancers will cause confusion and create delays, a solicitor has warned. The new form is being designed to give buyers more information at the start of the process, with the aim of reducing the number of enquiries raised by the buyer’s conveyancing […]
Evolving NLIS: Our Proof of Concept project to improve the Official Searches market gets underway
Work is well underway on our proof of concept (PoC) to explore the viability of a new Framework for Official Searches. Our market research work over the Spring to understand the needs of the Official Searches market showed us that all parties in the home buying and selling space were interested in this concept. They […]
Are you leaving your purchase customer at risk?
Most people would agree that ‘increasing automation’, ‘reducing transaction timescales’ and ‘lowering costs’ are all noble goals which are difficult to object to in any industry. However, in a world where lenders are central to the process that purchase conveyancing clients must navigate, there is a rapidly growing possibility the individual client risk is increasing, […]
Property and ID data sharing a step closer with new legislation
The legislative framework required to share property and identification details between all parties in the transaction has moved a step closer as the Data (Use and Access) Bill receives royal assent. With applications across healthcare, planning, utilities, property and ID the Data (Use and Access) Act is wide-ranging. Described as a ‘key driver for change’ […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Can I get an update on that?
I can think of no other job where there are so many constant and almost never-ending requests for updates. And when we get asked for an update, whether it be from the estate agents, the other solicitor or the client, we tend to have stock phrases. We write/say such things as: “Waiting on the seller’s […]
Two-thirds of housing transactions now under 17 weeks – Propertymark
Propertymark’s latest housing insight report reveals a ‘welcome drop’ in housing transactions that take over 17 weeks, with just 32% of the agents surveyed reporting transactions that pass the 17 week mark. The report, which is based on responses to a monthly survey of Propertymark member agents, notes that the figure indicates a trend towards […]
How to build a conveyancing team from the ground up
Building a team isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about creating a culture, setting a tone, and developing something people genuinely want to be part of. That’s exactly the opportunity I saw when I joined Movera to lead the new Cardiff office. After more than a decade in conveyancing—first as a solicitor, then in deputy and […]
Free webinar: beyond basic planning data – protecting your clients and your practice
Standard planning data often reveals just part of the story. Join us on Wednesday 2 July at 11am for a free webinar to discover what’s being missed and how it could put both your clients and your firm at risk. What you’ll learn: Why basic planning data isn’t enough: uncover the hidden risks that standard searches […]
Guidance on pre-contract enquiries published to tackle home buying delays
A new guidance document outlining recommendations on what might constitute unnecessary enquiries has been published; with its authors keen to point out the content is a first version and it is open to further refinement and comment. Guidance for Raising Appropriate Conveyancing Enquiries, or GRACE for short, has been pulled together by Vicki Redman of […]
Material information form ‘on pause’ after NTSELAT guidance withdrawal
The Law Society will pause its work on the material information form it planned to accompany the updated TA6 sixth edition due out in the Autumn. Speaking at the Bold Legal Conference Law Society Vice President Mark Evans said the withdrawal of the National Trading Standards Estate and Lettings Agents Team’s (NTSELAT) material information guidance […]
HMLR data pilot is ‘important step’ towards streamlining conveyancing process
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has launched a pilot scheme to investigate how improving access to key property datasets held by local authorities can benefit the home buying and selling process. Writing in its newsletter, HMLR said the initiative ‘marks an important step toward modernising property data access, improving transaction times, and streamlining the conveyancing process’. […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Conveyancers do it on social media
I attended a very interesting conference in the middle of last week. It took place in a lovely venue in Regents Park. Although you would not expect the weather to make a difference as to how good a conference is, I have to say that the presence of sunshine really helped – sitting in a […]
Time to bring the Lenders’ Handbook into the digital identity age
On Monday 9th June, conveyancers saw the welcome launch of new ID1 and ID2 forms from Land Registry, with the introduction of a new Section C allowing firms to confirm that digital identity verification (D-ID) has been used in accordance with Practice Guide 81. This aligns with simultaneous updates to its Practice Guide 67 and […]
SLC backs digital signatures, but calls for a re-think on TR1
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) has backed the use of digital signatures during the conveyancing process, but is calling on HM Land Registry to amend its position on the TR1 process. In a position statement issued this week, SLC said it ‘fully supports the adoption and use of digital signatures, including Qualified Electronic Signatures […]
App developed by surveyor ‘will reduce fall throughs and aid conveyancing process’
An app that ‘lets sellers and buyers assess property through the eyes of a surveyor’ has the potential to speed up the home buying process and reduce fall-throughs, its founder believes. Qualified surveyor Brett Ray developed Survey Shack last year to give ‘surveyor-inspired insights’ to sellers and buyers. The app-based inspections generate detailed reports with […]
Unravelling the money mystery around practical source of funds: Best practice advice
Amidst property searches, chains and deadlines, there’s always that lingering question at the back of the conveyancer’s mind: “Where did this money really come from?” Source of Funds (SoF) and Source of Wealth (SoW) checks aren’t just tick-box exercises: they’re a useful frontline defence against money laundering. They may seem like an unsolvable puzzle at […]
Two senior hires for Movera group, with conveyancer recruitment drive in Cardiff
The Movera group has announced senior hires in two of its UK companies and is searching for experienced conveyancers to join a fast-growing team in Cardiff. ONP Solicitors has appointed Amy Colton as senior operations manager to head up the firm’s newly launched Cardiff office, while Mark Richards has been promoted to sales director at […]
Australian conveyancers raise concerns after property market outages
Conveyancers in Australia have called for authorities to investigate what they describe as the ‘de-facto monopoly’ of the electronic lodgement network operator (ELNO) following a recent outage on the Jellyfish app. In a scenario reminiscent of the latest banking outages to impact conveyancers and home movers in the UK, the Jellyfish app, which is used […]