HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a conveyancing solicitor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Conveyancing is reserved work in England and Wales. Here is how to check the firm, read the quote and avoid fee surprises.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a conveyancing solicitor in five steps

  1. Check the firm, not just the personOn the SRA register, or the CLC's search for a licensed conveyancer.
  2. Compare published pricesFirms offering residential conveyancing must publish price and service information.
  3. Get a full written quoteLegal fee, VAT, searches, Land Registry fee, property tax and any leasehold extras.
  4. Ask about a failed purchaseWhat you pay if the sale falls through.
  5. Never trust changed bank detailsPhone the firm on a number you already know before sending money.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

The Solicitors Register

The Legal Services Act 2007 makes reserved instrument activities, such as the documents that transfer property, work only authorised persons may do in England and Wales. The SRA register shows whether the solicitor and the firm are regulated.

Search the conveyancing solicitor and the firm on the SRA register using the All tab. sra.org.uk →

Licensed conveyancers (CLC)

Licensed conveyancers in England and Wales are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, not the SRA, and are authorised for conveyancing in their own right.

If the firm is not on the SRA register, search for it with the CLC. clc-uk.org →

Published prices and written costs

SRA rules require firms offering residential conveyancing to publish price and service information, and to give you cost information for your own matter in writing.

Compare the quote with the price on the firm's website and ask about any difference. sra.org.uk →

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Property in Scotland is bought under Scots law through a solicitor found via the Law Society of Scotland; in Northern Ireland the Law Society of Northern Ireland regulates solicitors.

Use the solicitor regulator for the nation where the property is. mygov.scot →

VAT

Conveyancing is standard-rated, so a conveyancing solicitor's firm adds 20% to its legal fee for the sale or purchase. Registration becomes compulsory once a conveyancing solicitor's firm has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the conveyancing solicitor's firm for the VAT number on the client care letter and for the legal fee, VAT and each disbursement listed apart. gov.uk →

“Is your conveyancing firm regulated by the SRA or the CLC?”

A good answer: A name you can search and a firm entry that matches the letterhead.

“What is the full cost, including disbursements and VAT?”

A good answer: Legal fee, VAT at 20%, searches, Land Registry fee, bank transfer fees and property tax listed separately.

“What will I pay if the purchase falls through?”

A good answer: A clear answer: a reduced fee, or no fee for some firms.

“Is the property leasehold, and what extra work does that need?”

A good answer: Lease review and management pack costs explained.

“Who will handle my conveyancing day to day?”

A good answer: A named person and a supervising solicitor.

“How will you protect me from payment fraud?”

A good answer: A firm policy never to change bank details by email, confirmed by phone.

“How long should conveyancing take for my chain?”

A good answer: A realistic range, often eight to twelve weeks.

Getting the quote right

  • Legal fee
  • Who actually attends to the conveyancing: the conveyancing solicitor named, a supervised paralegal, or a subcontracted firm
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the legal fee, and each disbursement listed on its own
  • Searches, Land Registry fee and bank charges listed
  • Property tax return and the tax due shown separately
  • Leasehold, new-build or shared-ownership extras
  • The fee if the transaction falls through
  • Written in the client care letter

Walk away if

  • Not on the SRA register or the CLC search
  • A headline fee that hides disbursements
  • Bank details sent or changed by email
  • No client care letter
  • Cannot name who will handle the file
  • Prices that do not match the published price information
LOW
£500
TYPICAL
£1,420
HIGH
£2,200

What a conveyancing solicitor costs: £500–£2,200 per transaction

Conveyancing is quoted per transaction as a legal fee plus disbursements and VAT; the property tax is separate. Conveyancing Solicitor price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Conveyancing solicitors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. InstructionClient care letter, identity checks and the costs in writing.
  2. Searches and enquiriesSearches ordered and enquiries raised with the seller's side.
  3. ReportThe conveyancing solicitor reports on title, searches and the contract.
  4. ExchangeContracts exchanged and the completion date fixed.
  5. Completion and registrationMoney transferred, keys released, ownership registered.

Exchange of contracts
When the deal becomes legally binding.
Completion
The day the money moves and the property changes hands.
Searches
Checks with the council and others about the property.
Disbursements
Fees paid to third parties on your behalf.
Licensed conveyancer
A specialist property lawyer regulated by the CLC.
Management pack
Information from a leasehold building's managing agent.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the title registrationConfirm your ownership is registered with HM Land Registry.
Keep the completion statementIt shows every payment made on your behalf.
File the deeds and searchesWith the property tax return confirmation.
Leave the reviewA few honest lines about the conveyancing solicitor help other people decide. If you are unhappy, start the make-it-right step and give them the chance to fix it.

STEP 1Give the conveyancing solicitor the chance to fix itWrite down what you expected from the conveyancing solicitor and what you actually received, and send it. Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the job needed reasonable care and skill; if it lacked them, sections 55 and 56 let you ask for it redone or for a refund of part of the price.
STEP 2Let us chase itAny score below four stars opens the make-it-right step: the conveyancing solicitor hears about the problem first, and we follow it through before the review appears.
STEP 3The Legal Ombudsman or your nation's bodyEngland and Wales: the Legal Ombudsman for poor service once the firm has replied, the SRA or CLC for misconduct. Scotland: the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Northern Ireland: the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims if it is still unresolvedA claim against the conveyancing solicitor can go, without a solicitor, to the small claims track in England and Wales (up to £10,000), simple procedure in Scotland (up to £5,000) or the small claims court in Northern Ireland (up to £5,000).

Hiring a conveyancing solicitor: questions people ask

In England and Wales, yes: conveyancing documents are reserved work, done by SRA-regulated solicitors or CLC licensed conveyancers.

Search the SRA register for solicitors, or the CLC's search for licensed conveyancers.

Yes. Scots law applies; use a Scottish solicitor found through the Law Society of Scotland.

Roughly £500–£2,200 per transaction, typically £1,420. Leasehold, property value and disbursements such as searches and Land Registry fees move the total. The conveyancing solicitor price guide shows what sits behind each figure; type your town above to find conveyancing solicitors in your area.

It depends on the firm's terms; ask before you instruct.

Usually eight to twelve weeks from offer to completion, longer in chains.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in business & professional

How to hire: SolicitorHow to hire: Wills & ProbateHow to hire: Building SurveyorHow to hire: Mortgage BrokerHow to hire: Family Law SolicitorHow to hire: Notary PublicHow to hire: ParalegalHow to hire: Employment Law SolicitorAll 701 hiring guides →

Conveyancing solicitors near you

Conveyancing solicitors in LondonConveyancing solicitors in ManchesterConveyancing solicitors in BirminghamConveyancing solicitors in GlasgowConveyancing solicitors in BelfastAll conveyancing solicitors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Legal Services Act 2007, section 12 — reserved legal activities
  2. SRA — the Solicitors Register
  3. CLC — find a CLC lawyer
  4. SRA — understanding costs
  5. mygov.scot — using a solicitor
  6. Law Society of Northern Ireland — making a complaint
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register