Introduction
We are now in a digital age where you can do anything online. This has led to an introduction of online conveyancers dealing with sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity. Quite often, these services can be provided by online conveyancers at a cheaper price than using a local solicitor, but is the cheapest option the one that you should take? Can you trust this cheaper service provider to handle what might be the biggest financial transaction in your life? Here are five reasons why you should consider instructing your local solicitor to deal with your conveyancing matter:
Local Lawyers have Local Knowledge
Your local solicitor, such as our experienced lawyers at JW Hughes & Co., will have local knowledge, for example, of the problems in certain areas which will show up in title or search results, etc. They will have knowledge of the price of searches and likely return dates. They will have connections with other solicitors and professionals, such as accountants, financial advisers, removal companies, surveyors, plan providers, auctioneers, local authorities. They will have no doubt worked with the other solicitor before and will be able to resolve any problems more rapidly.
Anti-Money Laundering checks have become much more stringent in recent years but when you are dealing with a local solicitor the checks can be easily satisfied by simply bringing your identification into the office and meeting with your solicitor, rather than having to send important documents in the post.
If a problem arises during a transaction, local solicitors will have the benefit of being able to visit the property to gain a better understanding of the issues, for example, if there is a right of way for access in dispute.
Local Lawyers Offer a more Personalised Service
We at JW Hughes & Co offer a personalised service for our clients, giving them time with us, which means you are able to come into our offices in Llandudno or Conwy to sign any documents that are needed during the conveyancing process. We are also here for you if you need documents witnessing, or for any additional questions you may have. This means that we do not have to rely on the postal service because we can talk to you face-to face. You will be provided with your Solicitor’s e-mail address and telephone number and you can rest assured that when you telephone the office, you will never be asked for a reference number or post code, we will be able to identify you by your name.
In addition, we can offer other services to help you, such as drafting Wills, Probate, Family, Business etc. For more information see our website. We can provide a flexible service and, whilst we have standard working hours, all solicitors are flexible and able to have appointments outside of working hours and even at client’s homes or places or work if necessary. Much of our work comes from our existing clients and their recommendations to friends or family. We pride ourselves in giving a lifetime service to people and, to that end, we will provide a service tailored to you as an individual client. Online nationwide conveyancers will go through thousands of cases every year and, because they offer cheaper services and employ less qualified staff, they are more likely to focus on meeting a quota.
Some of our lawyers are Welsh speaking and if you would like to speak to someone in Welsh, please contact the office and ask for this service.
Local Lawyers are Independent
A local solicitor is more independent. For example, referral fees have come under scrutiny of late, especially when firms have not disclosed to their clients that they are actually paying a fee and the amount of that fee. We do not involve ourselves in any form of referral arrangements with estate agents but we rely on their recommendations from dealing with us on previous transactions. Our only interest is that of the client. Although we do have connections with local professionals, we do not have financial connections and our work comes via recommendations only. Some online conveyancers have direct links with estate agents, which may mean that they do not disclose potential problems to you, however, we would not be afraid to advise you of any problems if we identify them during the conveyancing process.
Cheaper is not always better
Although online firms may say that they are cheaper, this does not automatically mean the online firms are more efficient. It may be more likely that they are conscious of costs and might be unwilling to spend as much time as we do in answering any queries that you may have. We are not afraid of advising you not to proceed if there is a problem that cannot be rectified.
We offer fixed fee quotes (which is a requirement set by our regulator) and it is very uncommon for us to charge more than the fixed fee. But, if for some reason, moving from the fixed fee is unavoidable, we will keep your informed of any changes at the earliest possible stage. You can be assured that we employ fully qualified legal professionals who will expertly guide you through the whole process. Online conveyancers often will use unqualified staff members to cut costs.
Local Lawyers are regulated by the Law Society
JW Hughes & Co is an SRA-regulated law firm. This means that we meet very high standards. Online conveyancers will be subject to regulation, but it is not as stringent as this. We also are part of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme, which is a quality mark provided by the Law Society. Normally, this is a prerequisite when law firms apply to go on a mortgage lenders’ panel of solicitors. This means that we provide regular training for our staff, including keeping our knowledge up to date with various changes in the law and procedure.
If you are thinking of buying or selling a house, please contact us at JW Hughes & Co. Our experienced conveyancers, Nick Passey and Rhys Lewis work in our Conwy office, contact them on 01492 596596 np@jwhlaw.co.uk, rl@jwhlaw.co.uk. Kim Wilkinson and Alaw Pari (Welsh speaking) work in our Llandudno office, contact them on 01492 874774 kw@jwhlaw.co.uk, alaw@jwhlaw.co.uk
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