What to ask a conveyancer before you instruct them

Most people pick a conveyancer off a recommendation or a quote, then barely speak to the firm until something goes wrong. Spending 10 minutes on a few direct questions up front can save weeks of frustration later.

1. Are you SRA or CLC regulated?

Non-negotiable. Once they tell you, check it yourself on the SRA register or the CLC register. Don't just take their word for it.

2. Is the quote fixed or an estimate?

A fixed fee means the legal fee won't go up no matter what (unless the matter fundamentally changes, like a boundary dispute kicking off). An estimate can move. Know which one you're looking at.

Same for disbursements: which ones are in the quote at a set price, and which are estimated? Searches, registration fees and leasehold packs can quietly add hundreds on top.

3. Who's actually doing the work?

In bigger firms, the senior name on the quote often isn't the person doing your day-to-day work. That's fine, but ask: who's my actual contact, what's their qualification, and roughly how many matters are they running at once? Heavy caseloads are one of the clearest predictors of poor communication.

4. How will we stay in touch?

Most complaints about conveyancers are really about communication: no updates, emails going unanswered for days. Ask: how often will you update me, do I get a direct phone number, what's your usual turnaround on emails?

5. What's your current HMLR error rate?

HM Land Registry publishes a Request for Information rate for every firm that submits at least 10 applications in a period. Firms with a low rate are sending in cleaner work, which means fewer holds at registration. Look the firm up on Cleerd before you ask — it usually makes for a more useful conversation if you already know roughly where they sit.

6. Is anyone getting paid for recommending you?

Estate agents, mortgage brokers and developers sometimes get a fee for sending clients to particular conveyancers. Ask, plainly: does the person who suggested you to me get paid, and how much? It doesn't make the firm bad, but it's the kind of thing you're entitled to know.