1 What does no-move-no-fee conveyancing cover?
A no-move-no-fee offer sets out legal charges the firm will waive if your purchase or sale does not go ahead in the circumstances it covers. You may also see “no sale, no fee” or “no completion, no fee”. The written terms tell you what the particular offer means.
It does not, by itself, promise that every payment will be returned. Ask the firm to separate its legal fee, any other charges and payments to outside organisations. An abortive fee is a charge for work on a transaction that does not proceed; ask whether the offer removes it entirely, reduces it or leaves some work chargeable.
For CLC-regulated firms, the Estimates and Terms of Engagement Code (PDF) requires the estimate to state the basis of charges for abortive work. It also requires written notification of the charges for a failed transaction once they can reasonably be calculated. That is a requirement to explain the charges, not a rule that every firm must waive them.
- Which parts of the legal work are covered, including work priced separately?
- Does it apply if the other party withdraws, if I withdraw, and if I choose to change firms?
- When does the protection start and end, and are there any notice requirements?
- Must I use the firm for a later transaction to receive a waiver or credit?
- If I am buying and selling, which instruction does the offer cover?
Keep the reply with your quote and engagement terms. Ask the firm to resolve any difference between the advertised offer and those documents before you agree to proceed.
2 Which costs could still be payable?
Work through the breakdown below with your own quote or statement. For each item, establish who receives the money, whether the cost has been incurred and what the relevant terms say. An estimate for work that never happened is not evidence that the amount is now due.
| Item and recipient | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Legal work: the conveyancing firm | Which work is waived? For anything charged, ask for the work done, pricing basis, applicable VAT and the term relied on. |
| Other firm charges: the conveyancing firm | Does the offer cover separately priced administration, identity-check or transfer work? Ask what was actually done and whether the charge is already inside another fee. |
| Third-party costs: an outside provider, often paid through the firm | For searches or title documents, identify the provider, amount and date ordered or paid. Ask whether cancellation, a refund or any later reuse is possible; do not assume either a refund or a permanent loss. |
| Property tax money: identify whether the firm holds it or it has been paid to the tax authority | Keep any tax estimate or payment separate from legal fees. Ask the firm to explain the tax position and account for money held for that purpose. A tax-return preparation charge is a different item. |
| Upfront or onboarding payment: the named firm or intermediary | What did the payment cover? How much has been applied to charges, remains held, will be refunded or could be credited later? Check that recipient’s terms separately. |
A disbursement is a payment to a third party. A bank-transfer or ID-check line is not automatically a disbursement simply because it appears separately on the quote. The SRA’s pricing guidance distinguishes firm charges from third-party costs and requires clarity about included work, exclusions and VAT.
GOV.UK explains that searches are usually paid upfront. Whether a particular ordered service can be cancelled or refunded needs checking with its provider. Also review any survey, broker or mortgage payments separately with the organisation that charged them; the conveyancing firm’s fee promise does not tell you those terms.
Our conveyancing costs guide explains the wider budget. Here, concentrate on the work and payments attached to the move that has stopped.
3 How do I account for money already paid?
Ask for a statement that starts with every payment you made, then shows charges, waivers, refunds and any remaining balance. Match it against your receipts. If you paid both a conveyancing firm and an intermediary, request the position from each rather than treating the payments as one pot.
Suppose you paid £500 to the firm. It confirms that £300 was spent on chargeable third-party costs, all its own fees are waived, and the remaining £200 is unused money to be returned. In that example, the refund is £200 and your cost is £300. You would not owe the £300 again: the original payment already covered it. All figures and conditions are invented to show the arithmetic.
A credit towards a later bill is different from cash returned now. If a credit is offered, get the amount, recipient, permitted use and expiry conditions in writing. Do not count it against a new quote until the firm confirms that it applies. Calling a payment a “deposit” does not explain any of these points.
If part of the statement is disputed, identify that line and ask for its calculation and contractual basis. A bill is easier to discuss when the question is “what does this £X cover?” rather than whether the whole move should have been free.
4 Has the move failed, or are you changing firms?
A seller pulling out and a customer replacing their conveyancer while continuing with the same purchase are different situations. Ask whether the offer covers your actual reason for ending the instruction. Do not assume protection for a failed transaction also covers a voluntary transfer.
If you are considering cancelling the instruction, ask the firm to explain any applicable cancellation rights, charges and notice procedure. Getting a new quote does not itself close your existing file. Before a transfer, confirm the old firm’s costs and how the firms will arrange the handover.
Tell your conveyancer promptly if completion is at risk. In England and Wales, exchange makes the purchase and sale legally binding, and withdrawing can have financial consequences under that contract. A promise about the firm’s fees is a separate matter. GOV.UK explains the effect of exchange.
5 Before starting again, check these three records
Obtain the statement of work, charges and payments, including any refund or unresolved item. Ask which documents can be passed on. Keep this record separate from the price of the next move.
Give the firm the new property and transaction details, even if you stay with the same firm. Ask what information or work it can use again and what must be obtained afresh. For a mortgage purchase, confirm it can act for your named lender.
Ask the recipient to confirm the credit against the new written quote, with its conditions and the remaining amount to pay. Keep an unconfirmed credit out of your budget calculation until it is resolved.
Do not budget on old searches or checks automatically covering a different property or a new instruction. Let the firm identify what it can use and price the work still needed. Use the quote-comparison worksheet when comparing the new options.
MoneyHelper recommends checking total costs, lender approval and contact arrangements. A fee offer is only one part of that decision. Our choosing a conveyancer guide covers the wider service checks.
6 What happens to the £150 MoveGuide payment?
MoveGuide is a conveyancing comparison and onboarding service. Our £150 onboarding payment is included in your quoted price and credited against the final bill. Do not add another £150 to that total.
If the move stops, ask us to confirm how the payment terms apply to your circumstances. If you need a replacement panel firm, ask how the existing credit would apply to its quote and get confirmation before instructing. MoveGuide earns nothing on a replacement referral, but that does not remove any charges owed to the original firm or establish the price of the replacement firm’s legal work.
The legal firm’s no-move-no-fee offer and MoveGuide’s payment terms need to be checked separately. Do not assume the firm’s offer creates a refund of the onboarding payment. We can talk through panel options and help clarify the quote with the firm; the panel does not cover every firm in the market, and the chosen firm is responsible for legal advice and work.
7 A message to request your failed-move statement
Adapt this wording with the property or file reference and the reason the move has stopped. Send it to the firm responsible for your file.
Please confirm how your no-move-no-fee terms apply now that [reason the transaction has stopped]. Please show the work and charges remaining payable, any fees waived, third-party costs incurred and applicable VAT. Could you reconcile these against the payments I have already made and explain any balance due, money to be returned or credit offered? Please identify the terms you rely on and confirm what needs to happen before I start a new instruction.
If the explanation does not resolve a service or billing complaint, use the firm’s complaints procedure. The Legal Ombudsman explains when and how you can bring a complaint, including the need to complain to the legal service provider first. Check its eligibility and time limits for your situation.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked on .
- CLC: Estimates and Terms of Engagement Code (PDF). Abortive charging basis, written notification of charges and engagement terms for CLC-regulated firms; effective 1 January 2025.
- SRA: Transparency in price and service. Included and excluded work, VAT and the distinction between firm charges and third-party costs.
- GOV.UK: Making an offer. England and Wales: offers, searches and upfront search payments.
- GOV.UK: Transferring ownership. The binding agreement at exchange and possible consequences of withdrawing.
- MoneyHelper: Find the right solicitor or conveyancer. Total-cost comparison, lender approval and contact arrangements.
- Legal Ombudsman: How to complain. Complaining to the provider first and checking the Ombudsman’s process.