Is this the best kept secret in conveyancing?
Many firms have heard about the Bold Legal Group (BLG) and the weekly information bulletins, but not as many have heard about the BLG online forum. The Bold Legal Group is a membership association of nearly 700 law firms throughout England and Wales, and the weekly bulletins go to c. 5000 individual conveyancers. However, just […]
Dealing with the TA7: Tips and traps for residential conveyancers
The TA7 form was updated in January 2023 and was in use from the 14th February 2023. What is it with Valentines Day and the Building Safety Act 2022? I don’t know any conveyancers who are dealing with transactions with BSA 2022 issues that are “feeling the love” currently. The purpose of this article is […]
The Lender’s Corner: How can we bring borrowers along on the net zero journey?
Climate change is the defining issue of our generation, yet as the shift to a low carbon world gathers pace, a number of key questions remain. Many homeowners know there’s a need for change but are unsure how to get there. Others may not realise the role they will need to play, or the options […]
Conveyancing firm named sixth best workplace for women in UK
Aconveyancing has ranked as the sixth best workplace for women in the UK, according to Great Place to Work. The 2023 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women list was launched by Great Place to Work® UK, recognising Aconveyancing among its top 10 ranked organisations from across the UK. The accreditation team noted how Aconveyancing strive for […]
Source of Funds and Airport Queues
We sometimes get asked questions like, “Why am I being asked to do a Source of Funds? I’m only giving my granddaughter £2,000 to help her buy a house!” and “Why do we need technology for this, can’t I just give you a bank statement?”. We thought an airport-based analogy might help to explain. Source […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 31st July 2023
As a week progresses in conveyancing land, I do sometimes stop and think about the work. This week, I was thinking about my favourite part of the transaction. Is it when you call the client on completion to tell them they can pick up the keys? (And invariably they mention that they have been waiting […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer: ‘If you’ve only got a hammer, everything looks like a nail’
You’re in the kitchen when a screw drops out of the bottom of a chair and it needs to be put back before it gets lost. Although it’s got a Philips head, you grab a sharp knife from the nearest drawer and the job is done. You know you should have gone to the garage […]
In conversation with Scott Bozinis, CEO, InfoTrack
‘From a search company at heart to a conduit in the conveyancing journey’ InfoTrack have been on some journey in recent years. What started as a search company in Australia is now a conveyancing technology provider that completes more applications to HM Land Registry than any other entity. Their CEO Scott Bozinis recently sat down […]
Building safety: CA guidance ‘a strong starting point in understanding what’s at play’
You’ll have hopefully seen the CA’s Guidance document which covers the Buildings Safety Act and Building Safety (Leaseholder Protections) Regulations (England) which we launched back at the tail end of April. We believe this is a strong starting point for conveyancing firms in understanding exactly what is at play here, not least because this is […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 24 July 2023
I have been thinking about the speed at which transactions happen – there is a lot of chat on social media about speeding up transaction times but as I have said before, do clients really want to move quickly? Notwithstanding all of the legal work, I believe that clients do need to reflect on the […]
What are the challenges in the conveyancing process and how can it be improved?
In an era defined by soaring consumer expectations and rapid technological advancements, the home buying and selling process finds itself struggling to keep pace. Landmark data reveals that the average time from instruction to completion takes 80% longer than it did in 2007, leaving buyers and sellers mired in frustration. But what is causing these […]
Could a 20-minute house sale ever become a reality?
Krystle joined PEXA over 10 years ago and worked with the property industry to design and build the completion platform that transformed the industry and is used for over 90% of property transactions in Australia today. Taking the industry and platform learnings with her, Krystle has moved to the UK to help deliver transformational outcomes […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 17th July 2023
It is funny how I get an idea as to what I am going to write and then it becomes a topic for discussion on social media – a bit like when you discover a song and then you hear it everywhere! So I had been thinking about how adversarial and confrontational conveyancing had become. […]
What do transaction volumes look like in the second half of 2023?
The latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast considers the outlook for transactoin volumes and in turn conveyancers for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024. To find out host David Opie turns to Nick Chadbourne CEO at panel management business LMS. Recorded in June, Nick shares insight available through LMS which has extensive coverage of the market […]
Scapegoats: Inexperience alone does not slow down transactions
In response to the number of conveyancers leaving the industry over the last 10 years, many firms have excelled in establishing facilities and programmes that are dedicated to finding, training and advancing the carers of future conveyancing talent. As we really start to reap the rewards of those programmes and see numbers replenish, in the […]
Suspicious Activity Reports: What you need to know
The National Crime Agency (NCA) have released updated guidance on submitting a better quality Suspicious Activity Report (SAR), making it a good time to revisit what they are and why they’re so important. A SAR alerts law enforcement to potential instances of money laundering or terrorist financing. In conveyancing, one of the most likely reasons […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 11th July 2023
I went to a property conference this week. I always find the sponsors at such events an interesting mix. What struck me was how many companies were offering services, and it is clearly the case that there are lots of tech companies who believe that they have the magic wand which they can sell to […]
PEXA: UK-specific route to digital conveyancing needed despite Australian success
Lessons learned from the digital transformation of conveyancing in Australia are valuable, but we need a local approach in the UK, says James Bawa, UK CEO, PEXA Australia’s conveyancing sector has come a long way from the days of queuing at the land registry to update a title. In today’s tech-first world, it’s hard to […]
Interview: Nick Hale, CEO at ONP Group
In the latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast host David Opie is joined by Nick Hale, CEO of ONP Group. In a wide-ranging interview Nick discusses his introduction in to the conveyancing world since his appointment in April 2022, and the journey he and ONP Group have been on. The opening part of the discussion explores the […]
Law Society sets out its vision for legal sector’s role in AI advancement
The Law Society of England and Wales has set out its vision for the “important role” that the legal profession must play in the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), including the implementation of standards and regulation. “We encourage the Government to adopt a nuanced, balanced approach to the development and use of AI with the […]