The Truth About Conveyancing

Good morrow, and welcome to the web log that will change your mind about conveyancing. I’m your host, Law-talking Guy, an 8 year veteran of the Conveyancing Wars. If you don’t know what conveyancing is, head over to Wikipedia for a précis (and count yourselves lucky). Back already? Well, as you can see, this short entry does not do justice to the monstrosity that is conveyancing in England and Wales. Not for nothing is moving house said to be the most stressful thing you can do, and a big part of the reason for this is conveyancing.

I am fed up to the back teeth with people who know nothing about conveyancing spouting off glibly about it as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Things like “there is some paperwork that must be processed before you can move in” or “the solicitor makes a Search in the Deeds at the Land Registry Office of Deeds and Registers to make sure no Mice have got into the Deeds Packet” (always beware of people who capitalise common words like ‘deeds’ or ‘search’ – they have an exaggerated idea of their own importance).

So here it is, the truth, what no conveyancing solicitor will tell you, straight from the horse’s mouth:

Conveyancing is very hard, highly skilled work. It makes us die a little inside every time you tell us to “just process the paperwork” or “chase up the other side cuz I want this all done yesterday” or ask “can’t I do without a local search?” or “do I have to extend my lease?” or “can I have a discount?”. Do you have any idea how much crap we struggle through every day on your behalf? How many rules there are and how often they keep changing? How easy it is to miss something important? How hard it is to do a good job under a large caseload? How much concentration and skill go into checking the title to your property? How much risk we take (because, let’s face it, for all your pushing for us to break the rules, you’re still going to sue us if anything goes wrong)? How many things we have to do for your lender? How little we get paid? How unique most transactions really are? How much we hate leasehold property?

I’m sorry if I sound bitter, but I am. This profession is a joke. We are held up to the highest standards of professionalism but are paid ten times less than the least professional people on earth (estate agents). Yes, I know some of you are willing to pay for quality, and for that I thank you. But others among you may think that £800 is expensive for conveyancing. What planet are you living on? It’s cheap at ten times the price (if done well)! The reason it is so low is… well that’s best left for another post. Of course with conveyancing, as with everything in life, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

There is a lot more to conveyancing than you will ever know, but this blog aims to change that. However, in the words of Morpheus:

“Remember, all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.”
The Matrix

Well… you get my opinion thrown in for free.