An update on the future of the conveyancing process

Following discussions at its ‘Modernising Conveyancing’ Conference, the Conveyancing Association, the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has announced it will set out a template for the future and produce a list of actions all designed to improve the overall conveyancing process.

The Conference was held on the 1st December and brought together 200 industry stakeholders to analyse the Conveyancing Association’s White Paper titled ‘Modernising the Home Moving Process’ and to secure advice, insight and clarity on key areas which could be improved upon.

The panel discussed a wide range of subjects including the following:

• The provision of upfront information.
• The leasehold process.
• Reducing abortive transactions and the solutions that could be adopted in order to ensure fewer delays, a less costly process and to create greater satisfaction for clients.

Members of the Conveyancing Association Management Committee will now analyse the discussions and feedback from the Conference, which will result in a new version of the White Paper that will include an agreed list of actions to be implemented over the course of 2017 and beyond.

The full range of actions and solutions pursued have yet to be decided. However, there was a consensus view developed at the Conference in a number of key areas, most notably:

• Ways to improve communication with clients and other process stakeholders by utilising technology with a focus on the provision of relevant information.
• How best to manage client expectations and protect against fraud.
• The provision of more pertinent and relevant upfront information, potentially in the form of a pre-contract pack, with a clear understanding on what documents would be included in such a pack.
• The development of a mandatory redress scheme for all lease administrators, plus voluntary codes of practice in the leasehold sector outlining best practice, particularly in terms of reasonable levels of fee-charging and response times.
• Developing greater levels of certainty for both the seller and buyer in terms of exchange and completing the sale through the exploration of certain solutions such as insurance/reservation agreements/other products.
• The pursuit of far greater digitisation of documentation within the process, as well as utilising the new technology available to improve on the speed of document provision and its completion such as use of e-signatures.

"It is clear that the conveyancing process needs to be updated and it appears that we are heading in the right direction in terms of discussing the current issues and finding ways to improve upon them. Hopefully, it is only a matter of time before we begin to see some changes implemented," comments Head of the Conveyancing Team, Solicitor Clare Hallett.

Our Conveyancing Team, based in Christchurch, also cover Bournemouth, Poole and the New Forest. If you have any questions, you only have to ask us at Frettens. Please call 01202 499255 and Clare Hallett or her team, will be happy to chat about your situation.