Northwood Banks & Co -
- Licensed Conveyancers
It’s well known that moving house is one of life’s most stressful events.
Finding a new place, packing up your belongings, arranging the transport – all of these can have their challenges.
For your peace of mind and the safety of your investment it’s important to get the legal process right – carrying out land and property searches, arranging contracts, exchanging funds, making sure that the ownership of the property is clear – the list goes on. So it’s best to get the help of a lawyer.
- What can a Licensed Conveyancer do for me?
Licensed Conveyancers are specialist property lawyers.
They can deal with all the legal, administrative and financial requirements involved in buying or selling property or remortgaging a property you already own.
Licensed Conveyancers handle transactions worth in excess of £10bn annually and their specialisation means that they have a great track record in protecting their clients.
Some of the legal services they can offer include preparing and agreeing contracts, arranging transfers of ownership, mortgages and leases, as well as drawing up documents that both sellers and purchasers must sign. They can also help with the legalities around shared ownership.
Some Licensed Conveyancers are also authorised to provide probate services. These are the legal processes for administering the estate of someone who has died. Northwood Banks & Co is one such firm.
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is also known as the CLC. The CLC regulates Licensed Conveyancers working throughout England and Wales.
Some of the ways that it does this include:
- setting the education and training standards for licensed conveyancers
- monitoring the work and conduct of licensed conveyancers
- taking disciplinary action where necessary
- How are you protected if you use a Licensed Conveyancer?
The CLC’s Code of Conduct sets out how licensed conveyancers are expected to work and behave. It is based around 6 principles.
You have rights when you use a licensed conveyancer. These rights include being treated fairly, being told clearly about the costs of the legal work, and the right to complain if something goes wrong.
If you lose money because of the actions of a lawyer or a firm that the CLC regulates you may be entitled to make a claim to the CLC’s Compensation Fund.
The CLC’s Client Charter sets out everything you need to know.
- What do I do if something goes wrong with my Licensed Conveyancer?
If you find that you’re not happy with the way things are going with your Licensed Conveyancer, make sure you let them know. Don’t be afraid to call them or email to explain why you’re not happy and ask them to put it right for you.
If you don’t think this is working you have the right to make a complaint to the Licensed Conveyancer. Often this is done in writing but the main thing is to make it clear that you are making a formal complaint to them. This means that they will handle it properly for you.
If you want some ideas for putting together a letter of complaint the Legal Ombudsman has got an example complaint letter that you can read first.
After this if things still aren’t sorted out with your Licensed Conveyancer you might want to contact the Legal Ombudsman for advice and support.