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What are local conveyancing solicitors?

If you do a Google search for conveyancers in your area, it will probably bring up a number of solicitor firms based in your nearest town centre.

Dig a little deeper, and you’ll probably find that most of these firms don’t just deal with property. Many pride themselves on being a ‘one-stop shop’ for a whole range of issues affecting people in their local area: a bit like your GP surgery, but for law. So alongside conveyancing, they may also handle matters such as family, wills, employment, and criminal defence.

This type of business is often called a high-street solicitors’ firm.

The benefits of local

Accessibility

With the office on your doorstep, it can be reassuring to know that you can always pop in if you need to, however unlikely that may be. Likewise, if your solicitor has asked you to sign some documents or produce some ID, you have the option of perhaps leaving them with a reception on your lunch hour.

Going local can also make sense if you are the type of person who likes to deal with matters face-to-face rather than over the phone.

With the office on your doorstep, it can be reassuring to know that you can always pop in if you need to, however unlikely that may be. Likewise, if your solicitor has asked you to sign some documents or produce some ID, you have the option of perhaps leaving them with a reception on your lunch hour.

Going local can also make sense if you are the type of person who likes to deal with matters face-to-face rather than over the phone.

Local knowledge

High street firms are an established part of the local legal community. Solicitors and other professionals in the same geographical network are accustomed to working together, which can sometimes help get things done quickly.

The limitations of local

Outdated processes

Many of us are now well used to dealing with banking and insurance entirely online. So when it comes to conveyancing, the traditional way of doing things can be a little frustrating.

Smaller local firms can be slow to implement the new processes that can make the practical side of conveyancing easier. For instance, you may have to wait for routine documents to arrive in your letterbox, rather than them being sent to your phone. Likewise, despite the existence of digital ID-check technology, you might still be expected to come into the office to produce formal documents in person.

Staying in touch

Local conveyancing solicitors often pride themselves on high levels of personal service, delivered face-to-face.

In practice, the property department of a small firm might comprise one or two conveyancing solicitors and a few assistants. Many are unable to take queries or arrange appointments outside of traditional office hours, which can be inconvenient if you are tied up during the day.

You may also not have a go-to account manager to handle the entire transaction for you. Instead, a solicitor might handle the key parts of the process (such as the exchange of contracts), while assistants handle day-to-day queries. If you want to know what’s going on, or if you have a quick question, it can sometimes be difficult to get hold of someone who can give you an answer.

Fees

“How much will it all cost?”

Let’s face it; when choosing a solicitor, this question comes pretty much top of the list. Trouble is, a local conveyancer isn’t always able to give a definitive answer.

Many local firms still prefer to work on the basis of ‘likely estimates’ rather than ‘fixed fees’. If it’s a simple transaction, you should find that the estimate is pretty close to the actual amount. However, if there are special considerations (a leasehold flat, a group purchase, or a requirement for specialist conveyancing searches, for instance), smaller local firms can be more reluctant to provide a definite quote from the outset. You may also be required to pay, even if the purchase doesn’t go through.

What are online conveyancers?

These organisations are qualified solicitors or licensed conveyancers who operate online rather than in a brick-and-mortar office. Unlike many high street firms that do a little bit of everything, online conveyancers tend to specialise in one thing: progressing property transactions.

The benefits of online

Accessibility

From searches and contract exchange through to gaining formal mortgage approval, most elements of the conveyancing process can now be done digitally. Online conveyancers embrace this, which means there’s no need for clients to physically come into the office at any stage.

Online conveyancing firms also tend to be very good at giving you the information you need, right when you need it. If you want to check where you are in the process, you can simply log into the online portal for an instant update.

Proactive account management

An online conveyancing service doesn’t mean sacrificing the personal touch. In fact, far from it. With Muve, for example, you get not only to be kept fully up to date via the client portal but also a dedicated account manager, available by phone or email when you need them.

Behind the scenes, online conveyancers are often much better equipped to keep things moving than their traditional counterparts. For instance, case management technology will automatically flag that another party needs to be chased, so matters are pushed swiftly along.

Fixed prices

Good online conveyancing firms combine knowledge and technology to progress your property purchase as quickly and effectively as possible. As part of this, they can be much more definite on things like timeframes and (just as importantly) fees.

Online firms can offer you a fixed, guaranteed price for your conveyancing purchase, with no nasty surprises later. They should also offer a no-move-no-fee arrangement as a matter of course.

Transparency

Local firms often thrive on word-of-mouth recommendations. For online firms, reputation is just as important. Thanks to independent review sites such as Trustpilot, it’s often easier to verify the firm’s reputation than to rely on anecdotal accounts.

The limitations of online

Absence of local knowledge

Your online conveyancing solicitor probably won’t have personal knowledge of your local area. But just how important is this?

Well, back when local authority searches involved a lot of manual processing, it sometimes helped if you were on first-name terms with the person handling it at the council to move things along. But now that these processes have mostly gone digital, local familiarity is much less relevant.

No in-person meetings

If you are the type of person who prefers to conduct business face-to-face, it’s fair to say that an online solicitor might not be for you. But remember, the personal touch means much more than being in the same room as your conveyancer. Is there a single point of contact looking after everything for you? Do they respond when you need them? This is what matters—and it’s something the best online conveyancers excel at.

Which is right for me?

If you value having your conveyancer physically nearby, or perhaps you have a longstanding relationship with a local firm, then staying local may be right for you.

Alternatively, if you are looking for the most efficient service possible, making the most out of the latest technology (while still keeping that personal touch), an online conveyancer makes perfect sense.

For more information about conveyancing, be sure to check out our knowledge hub. Alternatively, you can meet our amazing team of online conveyancers right here. Get an instant conveyancing quote now!