Choosing a conveyancing solicitor in England

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Check regulation and relevant experience

For a purchase in England, choose a professional who undertakes conveyancing and knows your type of property. Leasehold, new-build, shared ownership and overseas funds can require additional work. Explain these circumstances immediately and ask who will personally handle the matter.

The SRA register checks solicitors and regulated firms ↗. Match the name, address and status rather than relying on a supplied logo. A licensed conveyancer is checked through their own regulator rather than the SRA. If you are borrowing, obtain confirmation that the firm can act for your mortgage lender; otherwise additional cost and delay may arise.

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Request an itemised legal fee, VAT and disbursements, including searches, registration and other external payments. Purchase taxes and the deposit should not be confused with the lawyer’s fee. Ask about supplements for leasehold, a mortgage, gifted deposits, multiple buyers and complex evidence of funds.

Find out what is payable if the transaction fails, which external costs are non-refundable and whether an advertised no-completion-no-fee arrangement covers your circumstances. Compare communication arrangements, the responsible case handler, holiday cover and complaints procedure. A low starting price without the extras makes comparison difficult.

Prepare documents and questions

You will generally need identity, address and source-of-funds evidence. Request the precise list and a secure upload method first. For a family gift, overseas property sale or transfers between your own accounts, assemble a coherent document trail rather than only the final statement.

Tell the solicitor about extensions, parking, communal areas, promised items and intended use. GOV.UK lists contract matters ↗, including price, boundaries, included fixtures, rights and restrictions, services and completion date. Ask for unfamiliar provisions to be explained before you agree.

Distinguish exchange from completion

Exchange of contracts makes the purchase legally binding; ordinarily, withdrawing without consequences is no longer possible. Completion is the stage at which funds, documents and keys are transferred. Do not incur irreversible moving costs based only on an informal estimated date.

Before a large payment, verify bank details through an independently established contact channel, especially after an email announcing a change. Agree when money must arrive and how receipt will be confirmed. After completion, request a final account and confirmation of the remaining registration steps. Do not automatically apply the English process to a Scottish purchase.