Questions to Ask a Conveyancer Before You Instruct Them

Before you instruct a conveyancer, it's worth asking about their regulatory status, exactly what's included in their fee, who will actually handle your file day to day, and what their realistic timescale looks like for a transaction like yours. Getting clear answers to those four areas before you sign anything tends to weed out most of the problems people run into later on.

Most of us only buy or sell a handful of homes in a lifetime, so it's genuinely hard to know what questions to ask a conveyancer before you instruct them, especially the first time round. A lot of people end up choosing based on price alone, or simply going with whoever their estate agent recommends, without ever really interrogating what they're signing up for. That's understandable, but a short list of direct questions asked upfront can save a huge amount of frustration later.

Quick disclosure: I'm not a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer, just someone who writes about the property market and the conveyancing process based on general, publicly available information. Nothing here is personal legal or financial advice, and every firm and every transaction is different, so please use this as a starting point for your own questions rather than a definitive checklist.

Below we'll go through questions worth asking about regulation, fees, communication, timescales, experience with your specific type of transaction, and what happens if things go wrong, along with a few red flags to watch out for in the answers you get back.

Table of contents

• Why asking questions upfront actually matters
• Questions about regulation and professional standing
• Questions about fees and what's genuinely included
• Questions about communication and who handles your file
• Questions about realistic timescales
• Questions about experience with your type of transaction
• Questions about what happens if things go wrong
• Red flags to listen for in the answers
• FAQs about questions to ask a conveyancer
• Summary and what to do next

Why asking questions upfront actually matters

Conveyancing quotes can look remarkably similar on the surface, a legal fee here, a few disbursements there, but the service behind those numbers can vary enormously. Asking the right questions before you instruct anyone is really the only way to get past the marketing and understand what you're actually going to experience over the following weeks or months.

What good questions actually reveal

The right questions tend to expose things a website or a quote sheet won't tell you, such as:

• Whether the fee you're quoted is genuinely fixed, or likely to grow once disbursements and extras are added
• Whether you'll deal with one named person throughout, or a rotating team
• How busy that person or team actually is, which affects how quickly they can respond to you
• Whether the firm has handled transactions like yours before, particularly if yours has any complexity to it

None of this shows up clearly on a comparison website, which is exactly why a short phone call or email exchange before instructing anyone is time well spent.

When to ask these questions

Ideally, ask before you pay anything or sign a client care letter, not after. Most firms are happy to answer general questions like these before you've formally instructed them, and how promptly and clearly they respond is itself a useful signal about what working with them might be like.

Questions about regulation and professional standing

Confirming that a firm is properly regulated is one of the most basic but important checks you can do before instructing anyone.

Questions worth asking

• Are you regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC)? This confirms the firm operates under recognised professional standards and has a formal complaints process behind it
• Do you hold professional indemnity insurance? Reputable, regulated firms should have this in place as standard
• Can you provide your regulator reference number? This lets you independently verify the firm's status rather than just taking their word for it

You can generally check a firm's regulatory status yourself directly through the SRA or CLC's own websites, which is a useful independent step regardless of what you're told over the phone. It only takes a couple of minutes, and it's genuinely worth doing before you hand over any money, even if the firm came recommended by a friend or your estate agent.

Why this matters beyond box-ticking

Regulation isn't just a formality. It means there's a recognised complaints process if something goes wrong, minimum standards the firm is expected to meet, and often a compensation scheme of last resort. It's a foundational check, not an optional extra, and honestly it's one of the quickest questions on this whole list to verify independently, so there's little excuse for skipping it.

It's also worth asking whether the person you'd actually be dealing with day to day is the regulated individual themselves, or a paralegal or assistant working under their supervision. Both arrangements are common and both are perfectly normal, but it's useful to know which one applies so you understand who's ultimately accountable for the work on your file.

Questions about fees and what's genuinely included

Fees are usually the first thing people compare, but the headline number rarely tells the whole story until you dig into what it actually covers.

Questions worth asking

• Is this fee fixed, or could it change as the transaction progresses? And if it can change, under exactly what circumstances
• What disbursements are included, and which are extra? Things like searches, Land Registry fees and bank transfer charges
• Is VAT included in the figure you've quoted me, or added on top? A surprisingly common source of confusion
• What happens to your fee if the transaction falls through before completion? Some firms charge a reduced "no completion" fee, others don't charge at all, and some charge in full for work already done
• Are there any additional charges for leasehold properties, mortgage redemption, or anything unusual about my specific transaction?

Ask for the answer in writing, not just verbally. A firm confident in its pricing should have no issue putting a full breakdown down on paper before you commit to anything.

Comparing quotes properly

When comparing quotes from different firms, it helps to line up the total figure, legal fee, disbursements and VAT all included, rather than comparing headline legal fees alone, since that's often where the real differences hide.

Questions about communication and who handles your file

Communication is consistently one of the most common frustrations people report with conveyancing, and it's also one of the hardest things to judge from a website alone.

Questions worth asking

• Will I have a single named point of contact, or will my file be shared across a team?
• How many active files does that person typically handle at once? A rough indicator of workload and how much attention your file is likely to get
• What's your usual response time to a phone call or email?
• How do you typically keep clients updated, phone, email, an online portal, or a mix?
• What happens if my main contact is off sick, on leave, or leaves the firm partway through my transaction?

None of these questions have a universally "correct" answer, since different people prefer different communication styles. What matters is getting a clear, specific answer rather than a vague one, since vagueness here often predicts vagueness later.

A quick way to judge the answer

If a firm can tell you exactly who'll handle your file, roughly how quickly they respond, and what happens if that person is unavailable, that's generally a good sign. If the answers feel evasive or generic, that's worth noting as you weigh up your options.

Questions about realistic timescales

Everyone wants to know how long conveyancing will take, but the honest answer is always "it depends", which makes the way a firm answers this question particularly revealing.

Questions worth asking

• What's a realistic timescale for a transaction like mine specifically? Rather than a generic industry average
• What factors could make my transaction slower or faster than that estimate?
• Am I in a chain, and if so, how does that typically affect timing?
• How quickly do you usually turn around enquiries once you receive them from the other side?

Be genuinely wary of a firm that promises an unusually fast, fixed timescale regardless of your specific circumstances, since a huge amount of conveyancing timing depends on factors outside any one firm's control, including local authorities, the other side's solicitor, and your mortgage lender.

Setting your own expectations too

A straightforward, chain-free purchase often completes somewhere around eight to twelve weeks, though it can be considerably quicker or slower depending on searches, the complexity of the property, and how responsive everyone involved turns out to be. Treat any estimate as a rough guide rather than a guarantee.

Questions about experience with your type of transaction

Not every conveyancing transaction is the same, and it's worth checking whether a firm has genuine experience with anything unusual about yours.

Questions worth asking if your transaction has any complexity

• Have you handled leasehold purchases like mine before, including short leases or unusual clauses? If relevant to your property
• Do you have experience with new-build purchases and developer contracts? If you're buying a new-build home
• Have you dealt with shared ownership or help-to-buy transactions? If either applies to your purchase
• Can you handle a transaction where I'm relocating from another part of the UK or from abroad? If your circumstances involve a remote element
• Have you worked with my mortgage lender before? Some lenders have specific requirements or panel arrangements worth checking

A firm that mostly handles straightforward freehold resales might be perfectly competent for that kind of transaction but less well suited to something with unusual features, so it's worth being upfront about anything that makes your purchase or sale a bit different.

Questions about what happens if things go wrong

Nobody wants to think about a transaction falling through or a dispute arising, but asking about it upfront gives you a much clearer picture of how a firm operates under pressure.

Questions worth asking

• What's your complaints procedure if I'm unhappy with the service at any point?
• Do you offer no-sale-no-fee terms, and exactly what does that cover?
• What happens if a serious issue turns up in a search or survey partway through?
• Who do I escalate to if I'm not getting the responses I need from my main point of contact?

A firm with a clear, confident answer to these questions has probably thought about service quality more seriously than one that seems caught off guard by them.

Checking the Legal Ombudsman route

It's also worth knowing that, if a complaint with a regulated firm can't be resolved directly, there's generally an independent route through the Legal Ombudsman as a final step, which exists specifically to handle unresolved complaints about legal services in England and Wales.

Red flags to listen for in the answers

Most conveyancers give straightforward, professional answers to these questions. A few patterns in the responses are worth paying attention to, though.

Answers that might be worth treating cautiously

• Reluctance to confirm their fee in writing, or vague answers about what's included
• An inability or unwillingness to name who'll actually be handling your file
• Pressure to instruct them immediately, without giving you time to compare against other quotes
• Dismissiveness about your specific circumstances, particularly if your transaction has any complexity to it
• No clear answer about regulatory status, or reluctance to provide a reference number

None of these on their own is necessarily disqualifying, but a pattern of vague or evasive answers across several questions is generally worth taking seriously before you commit. Trust your instincts here. If a conversation with a firm leaves you feeling more confused or more pressured than reassured, that's useful information in itself, regardless of how competitive their quote looks on paper.

It also helps to note down the answers you get from each firm you speak to, rather than relying on memory a few days later when you're comparing options. A simple table with regulation, fees, communication style and timescale as columns makes the eventual decision a lot easier than trying to recall several phone calls from memory.

FAQs about questions to ask a conveyancer

What's the single most important question to ask a conveyancer before instructing them?
There isn't really one single question that matters most, but confirming their regulatory status and getting a full written fee breakdown together probably cover the two most fundamental bases.

Is it rude to ask a conveyancer lots of questions before instructing them?
Not at all, reputable firms expect this and generally answer clearly and patiently, since it's a normal part of choosing who to trust with a significant transaction.

Should I ask multiple conveyancers the same questions before choosing one?
Yes, comparing answers from two or three firms side by side often makes differences in service and pricing much clearer than looking at a single quote in isolation.

Can I switch conveyancers if I'm not happy after instructing one?
Generally yes, switching is usually possible, particularly early in a transaction, though it can involve some delay and possibly additional cost, so it's worth asking the right questions before you instruct anyone in the first place.

Do I need to ask different questions for a leasehold purchase?
It's worth asking specifically about the firm's experience with leasehold transactions, since leases can involve extra checks and sometimes extra fees that a straightforward freehold purchase wouldn't.

How do I check if a conveyancer's answers about regulation are actually true?
You can independently check a firm's regulatory status through the SRA or CLC's own websites using the reference number they provide, rather than relying solely on what you're told.

Summary and what to do next

• Confirm regulatory status with the SRA or CLC, and check it independently rather than just taking it on trust
• Get a full written fee breakdown, including disbursements, VAT and what happens if the transaction falls through
• Ask who'll actually handle your file, how busy they are, and what happens if they're unavailable
• Ask for a realistic timescale specific to your transaction, not a generic industry figure
• Raise anything unusual about your transaction upfront, and listen for vague or evasive answers as a warning sign

This article reflects general knowledge from a blogger's perspective, not a solicitor's or licensed conveyancer's, and it isn't personalised legal or financial advice. Every firm and every transaction differs, so please treat these as a starting point for your own conversations rather than a complete or definitive checklist.

Need help or have questions?

We can't tell you which conveyancer is the right fit for your specific transaction, since we're not a firm of solicitors or licensed conveyancers ourselves, but we're happy to point you towards other guides on this site if there's a particular part of the process you'd like to understand better.

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A final reminder that this is a blog, not a law firm, and none of this article amounts to personalised legal advice. Speak to a qualified solicitor or licensed conveyancer directly before instructing anyone or making decisions about your transaction.