I am purchasing a garden flat in Charmouth. Can I do my own conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Charmouth you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Charmouth.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Charmouth. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Charmouth of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I have been recommended by a couple of local estate agents in Charmouth to select a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your site ahead of another?

We refuse to offer any financial incentive for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

Am I better off to use a Charmouth conveyancing practitioner in close proximity to the house I am buying? An old friend can deal with the conveyancing but his firm is located approximately 350kilometers drive away.

The benefit of a local Charmouth conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a bonus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were content that should surpass using an unknown Charmouth conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.

Much to my surprise my conveyancing solicitor in Charmouth has requested from me ID documents stating that this forms part of his retainer as a solicitor on the bank Conveyancing panel. Is this right?

Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offence if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage, your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy the lender. This is not unique to conveyancing in Charmouth