Conveyancing Quality Scheme: But, What’s In It For Me?

And as we’ve said before all Conveyancing Solicitors are not the same .

Conveyancing service is just that, a service, its quality can be outstanding but can also be distinctly average.

The Law Society introduced its Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) back in in April 2011 to provide a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices.

CQS has over a relatively short time created a trusted community which has helped to deter fraud and improve Conveyancing standards.

CQS helps the public in making an informed choice of Solicitor based on agreed principles protocols and guidelines embodied in a Client Charter

CQS is rightly regarded as a mark of excellence.

Conveyancing Quality Scheme: But, What’s In It For Me?

The Conveyancing Quality Scheme requires all law firms which are part of the Scheme to be recognised as being expert, accurate and appropriate.

You wouldn’t want, for example, your Solicitor defending clients in the Magistrates Court in the morning and rushing back to the office to work on your Conveyancing in the afternoon. Horses for Courses.

The Conveyancing law firm must ensure that its advice is cost effective and communicated in a manner that is appropriate for each client. Your Conveyancing Law Firm must act with integrity and strict confidentiality in all its dealings.

All very interesting you may say but what is exactly in it for me. 

By choosing a Conveyancing Law Firm which is part of CQS you will be guaranteed what I call the 4 C’s: Competence; Confidentiality; Commitment and Courtesy.  

For you that means when you are moving home you have the reassurance, confidence and peace of mind that you are in the safe hands of a specialist Conveyancing Solicitor.

1.Competence:

This may seem a curious and almost a given requirement for any solicitor.

The simple fact of the matter is, however, that any solicitor even the criminal law solicitor above can carry out Conveyancing

So as part of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme a law firm must only accept conveyancing instructions where it can meet its commitment to the provision of an expert and professional service to clients.

This means you:

– will receive advice on the steps in the Conveyancing process and
– what you can expect from your Conveyancing solicitor
– you will be regularly informed of progress in your sale or purchase
– your questions will be answered promptly and you will be informed about any problems as soon as they occur.

In fact many of the major Lenders such as Santander and Nationwide make it a prerequisite of instructing a law firm to act on their behalf with their mortgage requirements that they are CQS accredited.

The first C of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme – Competence is guaranteed for you as a result and you can rest easily that you are in safe hands throughout your move.

2.Confidentiality:

Solicitors have strict rules regarding confidentiality and a legal obligation (save for very few exceptions e.g. money laundering) to keep details of clients’ matters confidential.

In a Conveyancing context, this needs a little tweaking as we are required to make your Conveyancing transaction as transparent as possible and to share information with others to assist in the efficient management of each transaction or chain of transactions. 

Before doing so we would ask our clients for permission and would encourage clients to give such consent in our standard Terms and Conditions and Letter of Engagement.

The second C of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme – Confidentiality is therefore guaranteed for your peace of mind.

3.Commitment:

A client is entitled to expect real commitment from the practice in handling their transaction and attach appropriate priority to their requirements.

The Letter of Engagement and/or Terms and Conditions of the Conveyancing practice should set out what the client can expect including a fixed fee or best estimate of costs ( why we all can’t use the word Conveyancing fees rather than Conveyancing costs is beyond me)

You will also get details of the firm’s complaints procedure if things go wrong.

We put our complains procedure into pictures to make it more readable and easily digested. View for yourself here

Commitment should not finish at the end of the matter as client feedback is actively encouraged and valued.

Without feedback, good and bad, no Conveyancing firm can hope to keep improving.

The third C of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme – Commitment gives you further reassurance.

4.Courtesy:

All clients are entitled to be dealt with in a respectful and courteous manner.

All clients are entitled to be dealt with in a respectful and courteous manner. 

This will manifest itself with how the clients are greeted art reception, not keeping them waiting for appointments.

Courtesy will also be displayed in all communications whether on the telephone by letter or email.

Your Conveyancing solicitor must meet and greet clients in reception, ensure that clients are not kept waiting (more than 10 minutes would be penalised by public execution –my take – not that of CQS)

Simple and straightforward advice and service is a hallmark of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme and reinforced by the 4th C – Courtesy. 

What the Conveyancing Quality Scheme Means for You 

As I’ve said for you that means when you are moving home you have the reassurance, confidence and peace of mind that you are in the safe hands of a specialist Conveyancing Solicitor.

There are now over 2000 firms of Conveyancing Solicitors who have achieved the requisite standard so you should find a CQS accredited law firm near you.

Clutton Cox is an accredited firm of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme and has been since 2011. We are now in our fourth year of membership.

As a first step when deciding which Solicitor to choose make sure you instruct a Conveyancing Quality Standard law firm.

 And feel the quality!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2011 in our original series “Everything You Need to Know About Buying and Selling Your Home in 31 Bite-Sized Chunks” and has been completely revamped and updated.

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