Midlands law firm Clark Brookes Turner Cary is celebrating a third year of accreditation to The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
And Edward Ribchester, Head of Residential Conveyancing, says it is helping to pull in work.
His comments came as the business, with offices in West Bromwich and Stratford-upon-Avon, described the current housing market as buoyant.
The Conveyancing Quality Scheme provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. Introduced in 2011, it is intended to improve standards across the sector.
Practices must apply for re-accreditation every year.
Mr Ribchester, who is based in West Bromwich, and works closely with colleague Vicky Thomas in Stratford-upon-Avon, said:
“CQM indicates to people that we have the quality and expertise to handle their conveyancing requirements.
Our reach goes right across England & Wales. We can be doing deals in the Midlands one moment and then handling London flats the next. We have recently done conveyancing transactions here for clients in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. With today’s advanced communications it is not a problem.”
Mr Ribchester says pent up demand is emerging now the General Election is out of the way.
“I think people took a deep breath beforehand and waited to see what would happen. But with property friendly policies continuing – Right to Buy extended to housing association tenants and encouragement for new house building, all in the wake of stamp duty reform – we are seeing a general market improvement across the board which in turn is producing more conveyancing instructions.”
In order to attain CQS status, firms need to achieve set standards for their residential conveyancing practices.
It is designed to help prospective clients make an informed choice about which legal practice to use.
Mr Ribchester said:
“It is basically a best practice quality mark that clients can trust.
The buying and selling of a home is probably the largest transaction that most people undertake in their lives. Obtaining CQS proves you have the necessary skills and expertise to provide residential conveyancing advice, and you’re further reassuring clients that you’ll provide all the information they need to understand the process, options, costs and timescales from the outset.”