Home buying and selling reform that must work for our profession
The Government’s consultation on home buying and selling reform – available to view here – should clearly be of interest to all conveyancing stakeholders, not least because it purports to be focused on fixing long-standing issues in the process. Much of what is proposed aligns with what the Conveyancing Association has campaigned for over many […]
TA6: The calm after the storm
When the Law Society introduced the 5th edition of the TA6 Property Information Form, it was presented as a step towards greater transparency, efficiency and even business opportunities. It became one of the most contentious topics in recent conveyancing history. The timing and intention were understandable. Material Information had been debated by conveyancing industry bodies […]
We need a balanced and authoritative approach to leasehold reform: The sector demands clarity, not speed
It is widely accepted that the leasehold system is in need of reform, and that the current leasehold system is flawed in many ways. The 2024 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LAFRA), enacted hastily by the previous government as if it had run out of steam, was heralded as significant step towards fairer ownership structures, […]
What can be done to improve mental health and wellbeing in legal services?
As more than half of lawyers say they anticipate leaving their role within the next five years because of poor mental health and wellbeing, the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast tackles the issue head on with a wide ranging discussion on what organisations can do to protect their staff. Joining the podcast are Trish McLellan and […]
Binding contracts and faster sales are great – but will the home buying overhaul actually happen?
House sellers will have to reveal issues with their properties before selling new under government plans to reduce costs for buyers and speed up transactions. These changes – dubbed by the government as “the biggest overhaul of the home buying system” in England’s history – might also see buyers and sellers signing “binding contracts” to […]
Law Firm Services welcomes government drive to speed up the home buying process
The government’s latest announcement on digitisation and speeding up the home buying process reflects a long-standing ambition shared by Law Firm Services (LFS) and Minerva to make property transactions faster, more transparent, and more data-driven. Back in 2008, LFS delivered more than 100,000 Home Information Packs (HIPs), championing upfront information long before it became a […]
The government’s home buying proposals revisit some old ground – and conveyancers are weary
The recent announcement that the Government is, once again looking into improving the home buying and selling process is particularly poignant for me, because as most of you know, I owned a Home Information Pack production business back in 2010. Whilst the outlined new proposals don’t replicate exactly what was in a HIP, they do […]
Why the SRA’s updated guidance on money laundering matters for conveyancers
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued updated guidance on money laundering: for conveyancers, this is more than just another regulatory update. Property work continues to be singled out as one of the highest risk areas for criminal exploitation, and the guidance makes clear what the regulator expects to see in practice. Why now? The […]
‘Conveyancers are at the heart of home buying and selling’ says incoming Law Society president Mark Evans
Next month I will be extremely proud to become the president of the Law Society of England and Wales. Holding this position of responsibility means I can help the profession that has given me so much. It is something that I will never take for granted. The Law Society is privileged to be able to […]
Recommendations for leasehold reform: An open letter to the housing secretary from ALEP
Dear Secretary of State On behalf of ALEP (the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners), we would like to congratulate you on your new role at this pivotal moment for land tenure and leasehold reform. The leasehold enfranchisement sector is encouraged by the government’s commitment to bring about necessary change. With Matthew Pennycook having set an […]
A social housing boom is coming – is the legal sector ready?
When the new housing secretary Steve Reed declared his mission to “build, baby build” and accelerate delivery of 1.5 million homes this Parliament, the announcement was widely welcomed across the property industry. The ambition is clear: to bridge the gap between supply and demand, particularly for affordable homes, which remain out of reach for many. […]
From Victorian paperwork to digital dreams: modernising the UK’s antiquated housing market
We need to talk about the UK’s property market. Our transaction process feels like a remnant of a bygone era. Britain’s conveyancing system seems particularly labyrinthine and bureaucratic compared to other developed nations. One major issue is the time it takes. In the UK, the average period from making an offer to completing a purchase […]
Project 28 – A muted fanfare, but a much-needed initiative?
Does Project 28 contain a Charter for faster, more certain property transactions, or will it be another well intended but ultimately partially successful attempt at improving the home buying and selling process? Having watched the development (I mean decline) of the home buying and selling process for over 50 years now I will fully support […]
Making upfront information work for the full property chain
Buying and selling residential property in the UK has long been fraught with frustration. The average transaction still takes more than four months according to recent research from the Open Property Data Association (OPDA), and industry estimates suggest one in four sales fall through before completion. For buyers and sellers, these delays mean uncertainty, additional […]
Angela Rayner and the lessons for conveyancers
The recent media storm around Angela Rayner’s property transactions and stamp duty liability has once again placed conveyancing firms in the headlines, albeit somewhat reluctantly. As with all high-profile stories of this nature, there are many elements we cannot possibly know, particularly around what information was shared with the conveyancing firm that acted on her […]
Building stronger agency-conveyancer partnerships
The conversation around referral fees isn’t abstract – it’s emerging at a critical juncture for our industry. The UK conveyancing market, having contracted for two years, rebounded with 4.5% growth in 2024 and is poised for a further 5.7% increase in 2025. Yet this comes amid a 15% decline in conveyancer numbers since 2021, and […]
Back from holiday to potential stamp duty change and CGT chatter – what does it mean for conveyancers?
I came back from a few weeks away thinking I might have missed a little summer slowdown, only to find the housing and property press full of various prospective policies from Government on some potentially seismic changes to property taxation. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) has long been a political hot potato and a significant […]
Escaping the compliance money pit: An integrated path to reducing personal indemnity insurance costs
Compliance has become a black hole for time and money. Almost £40bn – equating to around 1.5% of GDP – is spent annually just on complying with money laundering regulations. With every incremental change to the rules, whether AML, sanctions screening or customer data protection, law firms are forced to stitch together a patchwork of […]
As high street law evolves, data becomes increasingly important
The face of the high street lawyer is changing. Over the last decade, the number of sole practitioners has dropped from 27% to 16%, while incorporated companies have increased from 36% to 57% over the same period. While the change in status may be attributed simply to a more efficient or convenient operating structure for […]
Later life living – turning a corner for investors?
By 2072, almost 30% of Britons will be aged 65 or over. This stark demographic shift is already taking shape, with profound implications for the housing market. Despite an estimated shortfall of at least 4.3 million in the UK today, less than 1 million are specifically designed for later life living, and this figure excludes […]