A low price is useful only when you know what it covers. Equally, a friendly first call does not tell you who will answer once your matter is underway. Use the checks below to turn a shortlist into a decision you can explain: this firm can handle my move, these are the costs, and this is how we will stay in touch.
1 Check the firm and the work it is authorised to do
Ask for the legal firm’s full name, regulator and registration number. For an SRA-regulated firm, use the SRA Solicitors Register. For a CLC-regulated practice, use the CLC register. Check the firm entry and contact details, not just the name of an individual or a badge on a website. If another regulator is named, verify the authorisation and scope with that regulator.
Regulation, professional accreditation and lender approval answer different questions. For example, the Conveyancing Quality Scheme is a Law Society accreditation. It is not the SRA register and does not replace checking your particular lender’s requirements.
Solicitor or licensed conveyancer?
Start with the work you need, rather than choosing by job title alone. Ask who has experience with your transaction: a leasehold flat, new build, shared ownership or a sale involving an estate, for example. Where you also need probate, family or dispute advice, establish who will provide that separate work and whether they are authorised and experienced to do it. Do not assume every solicitor covers every legal specialism, or that every licensed practice has the same permissions.
Ask the firm about its client-money arrangements, insurance and complaints process. Regulation does not mean every loss is automatically recoverable. The applicable scheme and circumstances matter.
2 Confirm lender acceptance and property experience
If you are buying or remortgaging with a mortgage, tell the firm which lender you expect to use. Ask whether it can act for both you and that lender on this transaction, and have the position checked again if the lender changes.
A firm being outside a lender’s panel does not always rule it out as your own adviser. UK Finance’s handbook includes separate representation, where another conveyancer acts for the lender. Whether your lender permits that arrangement, who appoints the other firm, and the extra cost or coordination involved need confirming before you instruct. Do not assume it is available in your case. Use our lender-panel checks and confirmation record to put the answers and any extra costs in writing.
- Give each firm the same facts: buying, selling or both; price; freehold or leasehold; mortgage lender; and any linked transaction.
- Flag matters that may change the work, such as a gifted deposit, shared ownership, new build or an estate sale.
- Ask whether the proposed team handles those matters and can take your file now. Explain any target date and ask what could prevent it.
3 Compare conveyancing costs on the same basis
Ask for a written breakdown of the legal fee, applicable VAT, third-party costs and any property tax, with the assumptions and exclusions alongside it. Check when payments are due and what happens if the transaction stops. A fixed legal fee has an agreed scope; it is not a promise that every possible item of work or expense is included.
The SRA’s price and service guidance addresses what firms should explain about costs, inclusions and exclusions. For CLC-regulated practices, the Estimates and Terms of Engagement Code covers written estimates, changes and the basis for charging when work stops.
Use our conveyancing-costs guide to understand the components, then the quote-comparison worksheet to compare amounts. If a quote includes a no-move-no-fee offer, check its actual conditions using our failed-move costs guide. A lower quote is not automatically incomplete, and a higher one is not proof of better service.
4 Agree how you will get updates
Find out who is responsible for the file, how to reach them and what happens when they are away. MoneyHelper recommends checking contact arrangements and absence cover. For CLC-regulated practices, the engagement code also addresses the person or team handling the work and supervision.
A useful update explains what is outstanding, who needs to act and when the position will next be checked. A portal can show progress, but ask how you can get an explanation if its status is unclear. Agree a realistic arrangement with the firm rather than treating a weekly call or same-day reply as an industry-wide promise.
| Check | Ask the firm | Write down |
|---|---|---|
| File responsibility | Who will handle my matter, and who supervises it? | The named contact or team, supervisor and direct contact route. |
| Updates | When will you update me, including when we are waiting for another party? | The agreed channel, update arrangement and next action. |
| Reply targets | When should I expect a response, and how do I flag an urgent deadline? | The target and escalation route, separately from the completion estimate. |
| Absence cover | Who covers holidays or sickness, and can they access my file? | A cover contact or team route. |
| Capacity and preparation | Can you accept this matter now, and what do you need from me first? | Acceptance conditions, documents and any known constraints. |
| Changes to the quote | How will you explain additional work and its cost? | The process for a revised scope and written estimate. |
| A missed update | Who should I contact if the agreed update does not arrive? | The supervisor or service contact, plus the complaints procedure. |
Download the blank firm-comparison checklist (CSV) and enter each firm’s answers beside its quote. A blank or unclear answer is something to resolve before deciding; it is not evidence by itself that a firm provides poor service.
A message you can send before instructing
Before I instruct, please confirm who will handle my file, who supervises them and who covers an absence. How will you update me, what response times should I expect, and who should I contact if an update is missed? Please also confirm the quote’s scope and exclusions, any lender requirements, what you need from me to get started and whether my target date is realistic.
5 Use reviews and location to check the fit
Read recent reviews for the actual firm or branch, looking for specific experiences of similar transactions. Repeated comments about contact or billing give you questions to ask. A star average alone cannot tell you who will handle your file or how the firm will perform on your move.
You can value a local office and still use a portal. Ask whether appointments are available, how you will supply documents and complete identity checks, and how urgent questions are handled. The CLC’s choosing guidance recommends considering the working style that suits you. Neither “online” nor “local” proves quality or speed.
An estate-agent recommendation can join your shortlist. Ask about any referral arrangement and compare the scope and service with alternatives. Our estate-agent solicitor guide explains the choice in more detail.
6 Know what to do if communication breaks down
Start with a short written request identifying the missing update, any deadline and what answer you need. If that does not resolve the problem, use the agreed supervisor or service contact. For a formal complaint, follow the firm’s complaints procedure and keep the correspondence.
The Legal Ombudsman explains when it can consider a service complaint: normally after the provider’s final response or after eight weeks without resolution, subject to eligibility and time limits. Check those limits promptly, including the usual six months from a final response and one year from the problem or when you became aware of it. Serious conduct concerns may need the relevant regulator instead. An escalation route is not a guarantee of compensation or a completion date.
7 How MoveGuide helps you choose
MoveGuide helps home buyers and sellers compare conveyancing quotes and talk through the options before choosing a firm. We can help clarify the quote with the firm and explain what information you need to prepare. The conveyancing firm accepts the instruction, provides legal advice and carries out the legal work; MoveGuide is a comparison and onboarding service, not a law firm.
If you proceed through MoveGuide, the £150 file-opening payment is included in the quoted total and credited against the final bill. Check the written quote and payment terms before paying. We compare firms on our panel, not every firm in the market, and do not promise the cheapest price or a particular completion date.
Request conveyancing quotes and keep the service checklist beside the results, so that your decision covers the people and process as well as the total.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked on .
- SRA Solicitors Register. Check SRA-regulated firms and individuals.
- CLC public register. Find CLC-regulated practices and practitioners.
- Law Society firm accreditations. CQS is a Law Society accreditation, distinct from regulatory authorisation.
- UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook. Includes separate representation; individual lender instructions still apply.
- SRA transparency in price and service. Pricing basis, inclusions, exclusions and service information.
- CLC Estimates and Terms of Engagement Code. Effective 1 January 2025; written estimates, handler/team information and engagement terms.
- MoneyHelper: find a solicitor or conveyancer. Questions about contact, cover, costs and relevant experience.
- CLC: choosing a conveyancer. Regulation, price, quality and working preferences.
- Legal Ombudsman consumer FAQs. Complaint process, eligibility and time limits.