Law Society conveyancing quality scheme to help buyers and sellers

The scheme is supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies’ Association and the Association of British Insurers.

The CQS is a quality standard which will be awarded to solicitors’ firms in recognition of their high standards of service and advice.

Launching the new scheme at the society’s property section annual conference and AGM, Law Society president Linda Lee said that high quality conveyancing practices have never had the opportunity to be recognised for the work they do.

“The CQS will give buyers an instantly recognisable ‘kitemark’ highlighting a firm’s professional excellence and their commitment to providing a high quality service.

“The accreditation will allow consumers to identify quality conveyancing practices in a crowded and sometimes confusing market.

“The traditional values and legal skill of solicitors coupled with their professional integrity and ability to embrace change means solicitors play a crucial role in bringing improvements to the home buying process.

“At the heart of the scheme is the new Law Society Transaction Protocol which will introduce consistent standards throughout the conveyancing process to speed things up for all parties and bring greater certainty for buyers and sellers.”

Member firms will meet quality professional standards which will provide a benchmark standard of excellence for all conveyancing practices.

Mr Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the Building Societies’ Association, said: “We support steps that make the home-buying process simpler and enable consumers to receive much-needed certainty as soon as possible, so we welcome the steps taken by the Law Society to increase professionalism and raise standards in residential conveyancing by introducing the CQS.”

Jackie Bennett, head of policy at the Council of Mortgage Lenders, said: “The conveyancer greatly influences the experience a consumer has of buying or selling a home. The CML welcomes any initiative that makes the important decision of choosing a conveyancer easier for consumers and has a resulting positive impact on the house-buying and selling industry.”

Mr Andrew Baddeley-Chappell, head of mortgage strategy and policy at Nationwide Building Society, said: “Nationwide supports action by the Law Society to improve standards in conveyancing including the CQS. We would encourage all conveyancing firms to show their commitment by signing up to the scheme at the earliest opportunity.”

The CQS will be live from January.