Conveyancing firms, as I understand it, tend to have a bunch of people that aren’t solicitors/lawyers do most of the work but refer to a qualified solicitor when needed. Whereas with a local firm of solicitors there’s usually a solicitor that handles your file until exchange, and then hands it over to someone else to do the Land a registry / Completion Statement / money stuff.
Pros of the conveyancing firm are that its lower cost as you’re not paying solicitor money for everything. But the major con, in my experience of dealing with buyers that do use these firms, as that the person handling your file won’t necessarily appreciate what is and isn’t important. Computer either says yes or no. And so anything non standard needed referring up and takes for ever.
I always use a local solicitor who I figure knows any oddities of the area, understands the local authority process/timelines and knows the local estate agents as well. They’ll still be difficult to get hold of, but when you do you can have a sensible conversation!
And if you’re spending 6 or maybe 7 figure sums I’m not sure that saving a few hundred quid on advice is necessarily a sensible move...
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