Process of Getting a Conveyancing Quote
If you are buying or selling a property then, unless you are planning to do your own conveyancing, you’ll need to instruct a conveyancer (i.e. a solicitor or licensed conveyancer) to represent you. So with thousands of law firms out there to choose from, how do you go about getting a conveyancing quote? First you need to decide what you’re looking for. Do you want a local firm, whose offices you can visit, or would you rather do everything by phone, post and email?
Cost is also probably going to be a factor for you. The large, nationwide firms will tend to offer a cheaper conveyancing quote than the smaller local firms. Of course it isn’t always best to just go for the cheapest option. You need to be confident that your interests are being properly protected and that you are getting a good quality service.
Getting a Conveyancing Quote Online
One way to get a conveyancing quote is to go online. You can either get a quote direct from a conveyancer or from a third party referrer. There are advantages and disadvantages of both. A referrer will be able to provide you with quotes from several different conveyancers at once. This can be more convenient however you won’t usually know the name of the conveyancing firm you choose until you instruct them and the referrer will usually charge a fee. This will be payable by the conveyancer but will usually be added to your bill one way or another.
Going directly to conveyancers via their website will involve a bit more work however you will avoid referral fees and as you will know the identity of the conveyancing firm you will be able to research it before instructing.
Whichever route you follow, you should bear in mind that the “headline” quotes that you see are rarely what you will actually pay. You should always get a quote based on your specific transaction. Choose 3 – 5 conveyancers whom you like the sound of give them the details of your transaction, i.e. the sale/purchase price, whether the property is freehold or leasehold and its location. You should also specify if you have a particular deadline which you are required to meet. Ask for a quote from each of your chosen conveyancers and ask for it to be broken down and to include any anticipated disbursements. Disbursements are sums which the conveyancer has to pay out to third parties on your behalf. They should be the same whoever you instruct but some conveyancers will not mention them when giving a quote to make theirs appear lower.
Getting a Conveyancing Quote from a High Street Firm
The process of getting a conveyancing quote from a high street conveyancer is much the same as getting a quote online. You should still get 3 – 5 quotes, with disbursements, and compare them like for like. To find high street firms, use the Law Society’s “find a solicitor” tool. You can enter your postcode and you can filter the results by solicitors who conveyancing work. This will give you a list of firms starting with the nearest to you. If you want to look for a licensed conveyancer then there is a similar tool on the Council for Licensed Conveyancer’s website.
Check Your Final Bill Against Your Conveyancing Quote
When you are given a conveyancing quote the conveyancer is obliged to ensure that it is as accurate as reasonably possible. Due to the nature of conveyancing it is always possible that something could come along which needs significant additional work and therefore causes the fees to increase. The conveyancer must however notify you before incurring any additional expense and discuss it with you, albeit you may in practice have little choice but to accept the charge.
You should receive an invoice prior to completion. Check this against your original quote and question any discrepancies. You may be entitled to discount on any amounts you have not been advised of.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.