An honest appraisal of running a conveyancing practice

Running a busy conveyancing firm has its ups and down and you might have forgiven the latest guest on the Today's Conveyancer podcast if he had packed his bags and walked away when he sold his stake in his law firm in 2019 12 years after he set it up in 2007. But Simon Thomas returned in May 2021 to set up Montpellier Legal, a conveyancing focused practice in Cheltenham, with the opportunity to do all the things he migth ave got wrong the first time, right this time. "I missed the thrill, the variety and  and the rush and tumble of conveyancing" he says in a refreshingly honest and open discussion about what it takes to run a conveyancing practice in 2023. The discussion explores standards (and fostering a desire for continuous professional development), culture, fees, recruitment, technology, sourcing work, regulation, marketing and profit. On technology Simon says: "a lot of firms make the mistake that technology will do the job for them, and maybe in the future it will, but for the next 2-5 years there is still a a place for quality lawyers handling clients and being very much available for them; there's always the need for the human element."On culture her adds: "Culture is really important it's about the little things. We have to be thinking about the human touches that we would do in our own personal lives" On fees: "Our fees are mid-level fees. We believe we're providing a strong value proposition. We stand by our reputation and are proud of our reviews which are there for people to see." The discussion finishes with Simon's thoughts on the current state of the property market and also addresses his concerns about different regulatory approaches currently in place which create an opportunity for some firms to jointly represent buyers and seller, and others not to. Simon provides some insight into the inner workings of a conveyancing practice without giving away too many trade secrets!The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack