The Law Society has written to members advising of progress on the TA6 property information form consultation conducted in the wake of the furore arising from the launch of the fifth edition.
The timing of the update coincides with the deadline the Law Society initially set out on when the fifth edition would become mandatory During the consultation it was confirmed both the fourth and fifth editions of the form would be acceptable under the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) protocol until the 15th January 2025; and in November 2024 The Law Society confirmed it would extend the period both forms would be acceptable for an undetermined period while the consultation was ongoing.
Over 1200 practitioners have taken part in the consultation which, according to this latest update has highlighted concerns from the profession around
- complexity and length
- difficulty with specific questions
- desire for training and resources, both for conveyancers and for sellers.
The Law Society have been working with an external research agency, 2CV, to conduct surveys, interviews, focus groups and workshops with those who signed up to participate. 2CV have also engaged with government agencies, form providers, licensed conveyancers and estate agents to ensure the output of the consultation will ‘develop a process that is as straightforward as possible for solicitors and clients.’
“I would like to thank our members for engaging so positively with this extensive consultation,”
said Law Society chief executive Ian Jeffery.
Outlining next steps, the Law Society have acknowledged there are ‘wider complexities of conveyancing and… difficulties implementing any change’ and is committed to
- an implementation period so practitioners can become familiar with any changes made
- clear guidance notes and training for conveyancers and clients
- user testing
It has also re-confirmed the current ability to use either the fourth or fifth edition of the TA6 will remain compliant with the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). Concluding The Law Society say they will continue to share regular updates and keep conveyancers informed of TA6 developments.
2 responses
To suggest it a ‘training issue’ is incredibly patronising and shows how little TLS respect their conveyancing membership
As far as I know, there has been very little consultation on what is wrong with the new form – it has all been about how to inform conveyancers of changes.