When buying or selling a house, or dealing with other property transactions such as remortgaging, you should seek expert legal support. If you have already been researching the issue, you likely know that the legal process of dealing with a property transaction is called ‘conveyancing’ and you may have come across different terms for the people who can help with this.
Conveyances and solicitors can both help you with your property transaction, but they are not the same. Understanding the difference and which one is best suited to deal with your transaction is, therefore, an important issue when choosing a conveyancer or solicitor for buying a house.
In this blog, we will cover:
- What is the difference between a conveyancer and a solicitor?
- Do you need both when buying a house?
- Does it matter whether you use a conveyancer or a conveyancing solicitor?
- Is a conveyancing solicitor more expensive than a conveyancer?
- What other services can a solicitor help with when buying or selling a home?
Please be aware that, while we hope you will find the information in this blog helpful, it is not intended as specific legal advice. If you need help with any type of property transaction, our conveyancing solicitors will be very happy to discuss this with you.
For conveyancing services in Garforth, Mapplewell, Ossett, Sherburn in Elmet or Wakefield, West Yorkshire, contact us today.
Have a quick question or want to request a call back? Use our online enquiry form.
What is the difference between a conveyancer and a solicitor?
A licensed conveyancer is a specialist type of lawyer who is trained specifically to deal with property transactions. They are qualified professionals and will be regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), giving assurance that they can provide a safe, reliable service.
A solicitor is a different type of legal professional who will also have completed rigorous professional qualifications and will be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Again, this provides confidence that they are independently accredited legal professionals. A solicitor who chooses to specialise in residential property transactions is referred to as a conveyancing solicitor.
Do you need both when buying a house?
Either a conveyancing solicitor or a licensed conveyancer can deal with the purchase of a house for you. That said, there can be advantages to working with a firm of solicitors. These include that a solicitors’ firm will generally have broader expertise beyond just buying and selling property so, for example, they could help with making a Will or a cohabitation agreement.
So, if you just want help with buying a house, either type of legal professional will be able to do that, but if you want help with any additional legal matters, working with a firm of solicitors is usually a better choice as it means all of these issues can be handled by the same firm.
Does it matter whether you use a conveyancer or a conveyancing solicitor?
For most straightforward transactions, it should not matter whether you use a licensed conveyancer or a conveyancing solicitor. However, if more complex issues arise (which they often do) having access to the broader expertise of a conveyancing solicitor can be an advantage. Using a solicitor for conveyancing can, therefore, be the safer choice.
Is a conveyancing solicitor more expensive than a conveyancer?
Conveyancing solicitors’ fees for buying a house can be more expensive than those of a licensed conveyancer, but it depends on the firm. It is also often the case that a licensed conveyancer will work within a firm of solicitors, so the firm will set their prices based on the complexity of the work involved in your purchase and, therefore, whether they feel it can be dealt with by a conveyancer or whether it needs a solicitor’s expertise.
If you are interested to find out more about the cost of buying and selling a house, please take a look at our conveyancing quote tool.
What other services can a solicitor help with when buying or selling a home?
If you are using a solicitor for conveyancing, they will usually be able to refer you to one of their colleagues if you need help with any other legal matters.
As covered above, common issues that can come up when buying a house include the need to make a Will (including provision for your new home) or create a cohabitation agreement if you are buying with a partner and are not married or in a civil partnership.
You may also want to consider setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney covering your property and finances, so your partner would be able to make decisions about your home on your behalf if you ever lost the mental capacity to make such decisions yourself in the future.
If you are concerned about any of these issues, our team will be happy to advise you.
Speak to our conveyancing solicitors in West Yorkshire today
For conveyancing services in Garforth, Mapplewell, Ossett, Sherburn in Elmet or Wakefield, West Yorkshire, contact us today.
Have a quick question or want to request a call back? Use our online enquiry form.
