Licensed conveyancer
Conveyancers are lawyers who deal with the legal and financial sides of buying and selling property and land, probate issues and wills.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a conveyancer, you'll:
- advise clients on the property buying and selling process
- research who legally owns land and property
- conduct searches with local authorities for things that might affect a sale
- draft sale contracts
- talk to mortgage lenders, estate agents and solicitors
- check financial records
- prepare leases and transfer documents
- keep buyers and sellers up to date with progress of a sale
- make sure property taxes are paid
- maintain accurate records
- deal with exchange of contracts to complete a sale
Working environment
You could work in an office or at a client's business.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could specialise in buying and selling property or land, or work in probate and wills. You could also go on to manage a conveyancing department in a large company, or set up your own conveyancing firm.
You could take further training to become a solicitor.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent verbal communication skills
- excellent written communication skills
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- knowledge of English language
- active listening skills
- analytical thinking skills
- maths skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- have a credit check
- pass enhanced background checks
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- training with a professional body
You could apply to do a Legal Technician - Conveyancing or Probate Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship. Afterwards, you might move onto a Licensed Conveyancer or Licensed Probate Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
These can take between 2 and 5 years to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
You could start in a conveyancing office and work your way up by training to become a registered conveyancing technician.
You'll need:
- 6 months' practical experience in a probate or conveyancing practice, in a legal firm or in an organisation offering probate services to the public
- to apply for registration with the Council for Licensed Conveyancers
You could then take the Level 6 Diploma in Conveyancing Law and Practice to qualify as a professional conveyancer.
You can take the following qualifications through the Council for Licensed Conveyancers:
- Diploma in Conveyancing Law and Practice Level 4
- Diploma in Conveyancing Law and Practice Level 6
You can start studying even if you're not working in the legal profession. Each diploma takes around 18 to 24 months to complete, including practical experience.
You may be able to complete these more quickly if you already have a legal qualification, for example:
- law degree
- legal practice course
- Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
- Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) Level 6 Diploma
Registration
- you'll need to apply to the Council for Licensed Conveyancers for a licence to work as a conveyancer
Further information
You can find more details about careers in conveyancing from the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.