Licensed conveyancers

Licensed conveyancers are specialist property lawyers who transfer a property or a piece of land from one person to another. Most of us will make use of a licensed conveyancer at some point in our lives when we purchase a property. Although the majority will use the services of a conveyancer without complaint, if you do encounter any problems, you should be aware of how best to proceed.

The first step you should take when you have a problem with a licensed conveyancer is to send a complaint to the conveyancer directly or to his/her employer. You should wait at least 28 days after sending a letter to give your conveyancer time to respond to your complaint before you escalate matters any further.

There are three grounds which you can use when complaining about a licensed conveyancer. These are poor service, negligence and professional misconduct:

Poor service is a broad concept that is likely to cover complaints that arise where a conveyancer has:

• Not done what you instructed them to do
• Caused unreasonable delays
• Given you inaccurate or incomplete information
• Failed to reply to your correspondence or keep you updated on your case
• Managed your case unprofessionally
• Been rude to a client
• Failed to give you enough information about his or her charges before they start your case
• Failed to give you a final bill

Negligence is when your conveyancer has either failed to work to the same standard that a conveyancer would normally have done or has acted in a way that a conveyancer would not have done in the circumstances.

All conveyancers must act in accordance with their professional code of conduct. If your conveyancer acts contrary to this code then they may have committed professional misconduct. For example, if your conveyancer commits one of the following acts then they will generally be guilty of professional misconduct:

• Failing to keep information confidential
• Dropping a case at short notice without good reason
• Acting against your instructions or best interests
• Causing serious delay
• Acting dishonestly or in a way that damages the profession's reputation.

If you do not receive a satisfactory response from your conveyancer, or if you do not receive a response after you have waited 28 days, you can forward your complaint to The Council for Licensed Conveyancers. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is the regulatory body for all licensed conveyancers within England & Wales. They only deal with complaints relating to poor service and professional misconduct, so if your complaint relates to negligence, we recommend that you obtain further legal advice.

To make a complaint, you should download the complaint form from their website. This can be accessed using the following link: Complaint form

If you have any further questions, you can contact The Council for Licensed Conveyancers on 01245 349599. You can also visit their website for more information: The Council for Licensed Conveyancers

If you are unhappy with the review conducted by The Council for Licensed Conveyancers, you can forward your complaint to the Legal Services Ombudsman. You must send this letter within three months of receiving a response from The Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Their decision is final and there is no appeal process.

For more information, visit their website: The Legal Services Ombudsman