When you buy or sell a home you will need a property lawyer, and you will often see the terms conveyancer and solicitor used as if they mean the same thing. They overlap, but there are differences in training, regulation and the range of work they can do. This guide explains those differences and how to decide which suits your move.
What is the difference between a conveyancer and a solicitor?
“Conveyancer” describes the job: anyone who carries out conveyancing. A solicitor who does property work is a conveyancer in that sense. When people compare the two, they usually mean a licensed conveyancer, a professional who specialises only in property law, against a solicitor, who is trained across the whole of the law.
- Licensed conveyancer
- Qualified and regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Training focuses on property law and practice. Some are also licensed for probate work.
- Solicitor
- Qualified and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Trained in a wide range of law before specialising. A solicitors’ firm can often help with related legal matters under one roof.
Are you protected either way?
Yes. Both must hold professional indemnity insurance, keep client money in separate accounts and follow their regulator’s code of conduct. If something goes wrong with the service, you can complain to the firm and then to the Legal Ombudsman. Both regulators also run compensation arrangements for certain losses, such as money lost through dishonesty.
You can check that a solicitors’ firm is regulated on the SRA register, and a licensed conveyancer’s firm on the CLC’s register.
When a solicitor can make sense
For a straightforward freehold purchase or sale, either can do an excellent job. A solicitors’ firm can be the better fit when your move overlaps with other legal issues, for example:
- Selling a property as an executor, where probate and the estate need to be dealt with too. See our guide to selling as an executor.
- Transferring a home between separating partners, or adding or removing someone from the title.
- Buying through a company, or a mixed-use property with a shop or business below.
- Leasehold problems, such as a short lease that needs extending or a dispute with the freeholder.
- Unusual titles: unregistered land, missing deeds, boundary questions or rights of way.
Is a solicitor more expensive?
Not necessarily. Prices depend on the firm, the property and how much work is involved, not just the type of lawyer. Compare itemised quotes that include the legal fee, every extra and the disbursements, rather than headline prices.
Our fees are fixed and published on our pricing page, and the fees calculator gives you an itemised quote in about a minute.
Your mortgage lender’s panel
If you are buying or remortgaging with a mortgage, your lender will instruct the same lawyer to act for it as well, as long as that lawyer is on its approved panel. If your chosen firm isn’t on the panel, the lender may appoint a separate firm, which can add cost and delay. Ask early.
Look for CQS
The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is a recognised standard for residential conveyancing by solicitors’ firms, and many lenders expect it.
Questions to ask before you instruct
- Are you regulated, and by whom?
- Are you on my lender’s panel?
- Is the fee fixed, and what extras could be added?
- Who will handle my file, and who supervises them?
- How will you keep me updated, and how quickly do you reply?
- What happens to my costs if the sale falls through?
How Vecta Law works
Vecta Law is authorised and regulated by the SRA. Our property team handles your move day to day, supervised by our solicitors, so you get specialist conveyancing with solicitors accountable for the advice. We work by phone, email and online for clients across England and Wales. You can meet the team or get a quote.
Common questions
You need a regulated property lawyer in practice, especially with a mortgage, but it does not have to be a solicitor. A licensed conveyancer or chartered legal executive can also do the work.
Yes. Licensed conveyancers handle freehold and leasehold sales and purchases. For more complex leasehold issues, such as lease extensions or disputes, check the firm has the experience you need.
Sometimes, but not always. Fees vary more between firms than between types of lawyer, so compare itemised quotes.
Yes. Conveyancing is done by phone, email and online, and searches are ordered from the local council wherever your lawyer is based.
This guide is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Have a question? Read our FAQs or ask us.
