Conveyancing Matters Podcast

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing - Confidentiality – who can I talk to? www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing - Indemnity insurance – should conveyancers keep schtum? www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing - Fraud Restrictions - should conveyancers be careful?www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing - Indemnity insurance – planning and building regs www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing Grants of Representationwww.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing Early Repayment Fees on Redemption Statementswww.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Conveyancing Matters Q&A – a series in which Stu and Lorraine chat about common problems faced by conveyancers and give ideas on how to avoid themThis edition see's Stu and Lorraine discussing the New Property Information Form - 6th Edition.www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

The latest Conveyancing Matters new review is available! There is lots of conveyancing news for Lorraine and Stu to chat about including the Renters Rights Act 2025, HMLR queries on applications (requisitions) and the solicitor who was struck off for presenting identification documents as being certified copies when he has not seen the originals So there is lots to keep conveyancers busy! Stu and Lorraine also mention their nominations for the British Conveyancing Awards - big shout out to David Opie and the team at Todays Media!

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk to property expert, podcaster and presenter, Charlie Lamdin This is a wide-ranging chat in which Charlie shares his insights on the state of the property market. He makes some really interesting points and of course, is controversial at times! Charlie says that the property industry is lagging behind in terms of tech – do you agree?

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk about some interesting research that has recently been issued by Lloyds. The headline coming from it is that only 13% of first time buyers 'fully understand' the conveyancing process.  But is the real number likely to be even this high?  Stu and Lorraine suggest that our regulators should be doing more to support conveyancing clients and the lawyers that they regulate to help the public understand the importance of what we do.  What is your experience? How well do your clients understand the conveyancing process?

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu weigh in on a topic that has had a lot of press lately - the demise of 'Dear Sirs' Lorraine and Stu's views are shaped by their own experience of being in legal practice for many years - what is your view?   Is the demise of 'Dear Sirs' an important issue for practitioners or a storm in a teacup?

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk about the government's recent bombshell announcement that the legal regulators, including the SRA and CLC, are going to lose their AML oversight function.  This will be passed to the FCA, although no timeframe has yet been given. The announcement seemed to take the SRA by surprise - what is your view? Long overdue or an accident waiting to happen?

After a tumultuous 2024 (including a new Property Information Form (PIF), a backlash, a (survived) vote of no confidence and a consultation) the Law Society has produced the long awaited 6th edition of the PIF In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu give their first impressions of the new form. It is undoubtedly an improvement, but there are some points for conveyancers note If you find this chat interesting, Lorraine and Stu do a longer discussion about the PIF 6th edition and the implications for conveyancers and their clients in their CPD subscriber webinar for October 2025.  Why not subscribe?  A new CPD webinar every month for just £40 per year for individuals or £150 for a firm To subscribe, go to:  https://www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk/subscribe Are you a conveyancer? What do you think of the updated form? 

Stu and Lorraine have a lot to talk about including the LSAG updating its AML guidance, the CLC AML alert and LSAG guidance on identification and gifted deposits.  All of this is a must for coal face conveyancers! Lorraine and Stu also discuss a worrying case for anyone using What's App and mention HMLR updates - so there is a lot to keep conveyancers at the front line busy! And don't forget to save the date for the next Conveyancing Matters networking and CPD event in London! 26 November 2025, 6pm to 9pm!

'Talk to the Lawyers'In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk to Stephen Larcombe, solicitor, who was instrumental in setting up the Property Lawyers Alliance (PLA)Stephen talks about the PLA's current campaign lobbying government against the crippling burden of Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulation imposed on property firms; pointing out that there are about 1500 pages of AML regulations and documents Stephen says 'It has almost become masochistic. The key point is that there are virtually zero cases enforced by the SRA for actual money laundering by solicitors'Few property lawyers can argue with one of Stephen's key points - that regulators, government and anyone wanting to make change to the conveyancing process should consult the people who know what they are doing - 'talk to the lawyers'What is your view? Has the AML burden on property lawyers become too much?

In this week’s Conveyancing Matters chat, Stu and Lorraine talk to Cash Bishop, a young UK qualified lawyer who has taken the plunge and gone to work in DubaiCash is now a senior licensed conveyancer at Dacha Real Estate, based in Dubai. He talks about how different the conveyancing system is in Dubai and that he has no regrets in taking the plunge! It is interesting how swiftly the transactions can go through – Cash points out that the attitude of the lenders is key – ‘all the banks do things differently.’ The mortgage must be cleared before the Dubai transaction progresses, so once Cash is involved, there is little to hold up the transaction Maybe UK based banks could take a leaf out of their Dubai counterpart’s books – what do you think?

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu are joined by David Keighley Many conveyancers will know David as an excellent legal trainer or contributor to the Law Society's Conveyancing Handbook - but in this chat, David is talking about the fact that he is running for the Residential Conveyancing Sector seat on the Law Society's Council David explains that his wish is to represent coal face conveyancers at the highest level in the Law Society - this is undoubtedly a voice that needs to be heard and Lorraine and Stu wish him all the best Solicitors should listen to the chat to find out how to vote!

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk about the unexpected withdrawal by National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team of the Material Information guidance relating to property listings Where does this leave estate agents and conveyancers?And what of the Law Society's Property Information Form updates?  Edition 6 is expected later this year - confusion reigns for CQS firmsWhat is your view?

This week Conveyancing Matters is delighted to welcome David Opie, Managing Director of the Today's Media group which, of course, includes the popular 'Today's Conveyancer' publication Stu and Lorraine talk to David about the success in recent years of the British Conveyancing Awards (and the recent award won by PCS Legal!) and how David acquired the Today's Media group in 2021 and how the titles have developed since then David talks about the importance of social media and PR for lawyers and their firms and also shares valuable insights on how to ensure your PR is effective  

The Conveyancing Matters Spring 2025 chat is here! Lorraine and Stu remind conveyancers that they can come along to a drinks evening in London on 15 May - just as recognition for the immense work that conveyancers have put in over recent months. No payment needed - but places are limited, so email Lorraine if you would like to get on the list - [email protected] Lorraine and Stu give an update on a wide range of issues affecting conveyancers including: the continuing saga of the Property Information Form, Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, client money and EWS1 concerns, to name but a few. Have you encountered an EWS1 signed by Adam Kiziak / Tri Fire? What steps did you take?

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine is delighted to catch up with Ewan Treadgold from Tees Law Ewan has now qualified as a solicitor but he took the long route via Cilex and then the Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE)Ewan talks frankly about his journey and gives some important insights into the SQE exams and how he prepared for these challenging assessmentsEwan and Lorraine share study tips and how to approach the multiple choice and skills exams that comprise the SQEWe hope that everyone thinking of doing the SQE or already enrolled will find the chat interesting and insightful

With the government announcement on 9 February of a 12-week project aiming to move forward with digitisation of the home buying and selling process, a Conveyancing Matters chat with Mike Harlow could not be more timely! Mike is the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Strategy at HM Land Registry and joins Stu and Lorraine for a wide-ranging chat. Stuart jumps in at the deep end by asking Mike about the industrial action by HM Land Registry staff that is currently taking place and Lorraine asks Mike why a straightforward registration can take 12 weeks to process. Mike is honest in his appraisal but also reminds conveyancing firms that they must ‘play fair’ when applying to speed up a registration application. The conversation moved on to other areas of significance to conveyancing lawyers and everyone involved with the property market, including digitisation, the increased use of technology in the property market and where liability lies in the event of hacking. As Lorraine said: ‘The L word – liability – is the key for a lot of people.’ What is your view of digitisation? Will the government’s vision of ‘opening up key property information’ and moving forward with digital identity services really ‘slash transaction times’? Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice!

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Stu and Lorraine talk to property solicitor, Colin McWilliamsColin has gained a name for himself by becoming the deputy of the Property Lawyers Alliance (PLA)The PLA is a non-profit, conveyancing organization which is a community for conveyancers as well as having a political arm Colin regularly puts his head above the parapet to comment on matters of importance to the conveyancing profession on social mediaThe PLA led the drive for the vote of no confidence in the Law Society in 2024 following the publication of the Property Information Form 5th editionLorraine and Stu have a wide ranging chat with Colin - noting that he said:  'I credit Material Information with radicalizing me!'Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice!www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

Lorraine and Stu start 2025 with a topic that will not go away - leasehold! The government has said that it intends to push on with leasehold reform and wants to make commonhold the 'default' But how easy will this be?  In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk about some of the problems that the property market and conveyancers might face if leasehold changes are rushed through They also talk about the unhelpful language that is being used - is it appropriate for a government minister to refer to 'fleecehold'? 

We are at the last Conveyancing Matters video of 2024 - so Lorraine and Stu have a news review for you!They look back at some of the highlights for Conveyancing Matters and the main stories that have been keeping conveyancers awake!Stu and Lorraine send their best wishes for the festive season to all their subscribers, friends and contacts!Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice!www.conveyancing-matters.co.ukwww.pcslegal.co.ukwww.adaptlaw.co.uk

In this latest Conveyancing Matters chat, Stu and Lorraine are joined by Noel Hunter, OBENoel is the Chair of the Consumer Code for Homebuilders and gives some vital clarity relating to the various new home codes of practiceThe 2 October 2024 Consumer Code for Homebuilders newsletter refers to 'misinformation risks' and 'confusion' for new build homebuyers and builders and opens with the punchy lines:'We were disappointed to read reports quoting the New Homes Ombudsman stating that where builders are not signed up to their scheme, people will be left without the help they need. As our members know, this is not the case.'Noel clarifies the position of the New Homes Ombudsman and the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) - as clarifies that, as yet, there is no statutory Code in place and builders / developers have a choice of which Code to joinNoel also updates Stu and Lorraine on the improvements made to the Consumer Code for Homebuilders, which are now in force.  All conveyancers and their clients will be interested to discover that the Code now includes a 14 day cooling off period for new home buyers - not before time, many would thinkAs ever, Noel is an authoritative and interesting guestAre you confused about the NHQB and the New Homes Ombudsman?  Get some clarity by going to https://consumercode.co.uk/Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice!www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

In this Conveyancing Matters, Lorraine and Stu chat to presenter, journalist and blogger, Lexie CarducciLexie is a vibrant and interesting guest and has some good advice for those who are navigating the property marketInterestingly, despite Lexie's online presence, she still thinks that one of the most important parts of succeeding in the property market is connections - so don't give up on those networking opportunities!And Lexie tells Lorraine and Stu one of the most bizarre property tales they have heard - listen out for the story about the bomb!Are your connections and network still important to  you in your property journey? 

In this week's Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu talk about a topic that is never far from the property press - prop tech.  There are many prop tech providers out there who want to make progress of a conveyancing chain transparent to everyone in the chain - but as Lorraine and Stu discuss, this is often not possible The simple fact is that everyone has forgotten the C word - confidentiality Let us know what you think - how important is confidentiality?  

This week on their Conveyancing Matters chat, Stu and Lorraine talk about key undertakings What should sellers and their conveyancers say when receiving a request from a buyer to have access to the property between exchange and completion to do some work to the property? It seems like a reasonable enough request - the property is empty and the buyer wants to get a bit done to the property before they complete But is this a good idea for sellers or buyers? What do you say when you get a request for access to do work to a property?

Unbelievably, Stu and Lorraine have released their Summer 2024 Conveyancing Matters news chat!Lorraine has been on Radio 4 since they last chatted - on 'You and Yours' on 02.09.2024  talking about indemnity insurance!Where is this year going?Much of it has been taken up with controversy about Material Information and the fall out for conveyancers. Stu and Lorraine talk about this and lots of other topics, including CLC guidance on source of funds/wealth, leasehold reform and various HMLR updates.They also remind property colleagues to save the date! The next Conveyancing Matters Networking Event is in London on 13 November 2024. Details to follow!Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice!www.conveyancing-matters.co.ukhttps://www.pcslegal.co.ukhttps://www.adaptlaw.co.uk

On this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu discuss a sensitive topic for estate agents - sales progressors. There are, of course, many excellent estate agents supporting conveyancers.  But there are a lot of sales progressors who do not interact well with the conveyancer on a transaction and we would argue, in many cases, do not speed the progress of a matter. Lorraine and Stu  worked out that conveyancers probably spend on average 2 hours per day dealing with chaser calls and emails from estate agents - that is a whole working day per week when conveyancers are not doing conveyancing work. Is this a good use of conveyancers time? Lorraine and Stu acknowledge that conveyancers should try to keep their agents up to date, where the client permits them to do so.

In this week's Conveyancing Matters chat, Stu and Lorraine continue to think about the fall out regarding the clumsy handling of the roll out of the 5th edition of the Property Information Form This has led to confusion and discord amongst conveyancers  The Law Society has confirmed that the new form is not compulsory for CQS firms until next January, but the issue could have been avoided if conveyancers who are at the coal face doing the work had been consulted in the first place - how often do we find ourselves saying that?          Ask the people who are doing the job!

Stu was lucky enough to catch up with Mike Hall to find out what has happened in the last 2 years since we last discussed "The Vicar who lost his house".Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice! Find our podcasts on Spotify and apple podcasts https://www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk/https://www.pcslegal.co.uk https://www.adaptlaw.co.uk

In this Spring 2024 News Update Lorraine and Stu discuss some important issue s for conveyancers including changes to planning enforcement timeframes and BSA guidance. But the hot topic is Material Information and the controversially updated Property Information Form – are you using it yet?  They would love to hear your views!  They also chat about the next Conveyancing Matters Live event happening in Essex on 12th June. Stu and Lorraine hope to see you there! Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice! www.conveyancing-matters.co.uk

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Stu and Lorraine chat to Tayo Oguntonade, presenter of The Great House Giveaway on Channel 4.Tayo is a TV presenter, property expert, qualified mortgage broker, content creator & also a co-founder of digital property platform BrickzWithTipz.Tayo is both interesting and engaging and was prepared to share his insights on a wide range of topics including acquiring investment property, buying holiday lets and his surprising views on prop tech!Interestingly Tayo talks about the importance of content creation and how clients, investors and even lawyers can learn from innovators on social media.

In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu are delighted to welcome back Mike Day of Integra Property Services Mike is an industry veteran who offers, amongst other things,  consultancy and compliance training to the property industry They discuss the hot topic of the moment for both conveyancers and estate agents – Material Information It is fair to say that the market may not be ready for the changes that the Material Information requirements will bring and Mike, Lorraine and Stu discuss the pitfalls and some of the opportunities that it may present

Conveyancing Matters Looks Ahead to National Conveyancing Week 2024 In this Conveyancing Matters Lorraine and Stu chat with Rob Hailstone looking forward to the National Conveyancing Week.  Why it has come about, who it is for, and more importantly how everyone can get involved.  Spoiler Alert - Its FREE to attend. 

In this Conveyancing Matters Newsflash, Lorraine flies solo and talks about one of the most significant things for conveyancers for a while - the long awaited Law Society guidance on the Building Safety Act. She mentions a lot of other topics of relevance to conveyancers including: HMLR updates, leasehold  reform and the spectre of 99% mortgages. There is also still time to get tickets to the next Conveyancing Matters Live event in Birmingham on 28 February!

In this Conveyancing Matters chat the tables are turned!Lorraine and Stu are interviewed by American Mortgage Broker, Scott Hastings, about the conveyancing process in England and Wales.Scott is a Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator, at Mortgages by Scott, in North Carolina.https://mortgagesbyscott.com/He talks to us about a recent US legal case which could have wide ranging implications for the Estate Agency market over there, and we answer his questions about the conveyancing process over here.We hope that this is an informative chat for everyone interested in the conveyancing process, including Conveyancers, Estate Agents, Home Buyers and Sellers, Mortgage Brokers and Students taking conveyancing exams.Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice! http://www.pcslegal.co.uk http://www.adaptlaw.co.uk

In their last Conveyancing Matters chat of 2023, Stu and Lorraine review the year and talk about the big issues that have affected conveyancers including the joys of the Building Safety Act and HMLR processing times to name but two.  They chat about the fantastic guests who have been kind enough to appear on the show and look ahead to some of the challenges that conveyancers will face in 2024. 2023 has also been a great year for Conveyancing Matters - the live events have gone from strength to strength and the subscription service has been launched. Stu and Lorraine would like to thank those who have supported Conveyancing Matters in 2023 and wish all of their viewers and subscribers a great festive season and they look forward to seeing you all early in the new year.

Stu and Lorraine are delighted to welcome property supremo, PR guru and TV regular, Russell Quirk Lorraine, Stu and Russ cover a wide range of interesting and topical property  issues including how wrong the doom mongers were with 2023 property predictions, the on going cladding pain for leaseholders and the big challenge of 2024 - Material Information And... you won't believe it, but Russ may even confess to considering dipping his toe in the conveyancing pool!  You'll have to listen to believe it!

Lorraine and Stu are delighted to welcome the conveyancing silver fox himself, Rob Hailstone, back to Conveyancing Matters for a wide ranging chat (and an excellent Christmas jumper!) They talk about the recent podcast that Rob has done with HMLR Deputy Chief Executive, Mike Harlow. Unsurprisingly, HMLR registration delays feature heavily They also talk about the big challenge of 2024 for both conveyancers and agents - Material Information and Rob gives a taster for the 2024 Bold Legal Conference and National Conveyancing Week What is your view on Material Information - to be embraced or a step too far?

In this November 2023 News Update Lorraine and Stuart discuss the main news stories of the previous month, including the recent cyber incident, risk assessments and AML.Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice! 

Some conveyancers have  been affected by another cyber attack and the problems rumble on into a second week Everyone, rightly, should  have sympathy for the affected clients and coal face conveyancers - but has the 'be kind' message gone too far? Has everyone lost sight of the contract? In this Conveyancing Matters chat, Lorraine and Stu discuss the importance of not losing sight of the fact that there is a binding contract between the seller and the buyer with legal consequences if one party fails to complete; whatever the reason for that failure And what should a conveyancer do if the firm on the other side cannot give an undertaking to redeem a mortgage on their client's sale?Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice! www.conveyancing-matters.co.ukwww.pcslegal.co.uk www.adaptlaw.co.uk

In this Conveyancing Matters we were thrilled to be able to speak with the one and only Rob Moore, Property Expert and Entrepreneur amongst many other things.He discusses his opinion on the market at the moment, as well as advice to others who may be looking to invest in property or who may have already taken their first steps.

In this October 2023 Conveyancing Matters News, Lorraine and Stu discuss a number of interesting developments including more guidance on the Building Safety Act, the government's proposed changes to leasehold and the Transparency Rules. They also talk about the Law Society's proposed new code for exchanging contracts Have you had difficulties exchanging? Do  you think we need a new code?

Conveyancing Matters welcomes Darren Parfitt from Prosperity Insurance for an in depth chat about Indemnity Insurance .Conveyancers use Indemnity Insurance on a day to days basis, but do we know all we need to know about it? Is it the answer to all potential problems, and how should we advise the clients on this?Do you know all the conditions of any policies that you take out or recommend?Remember, this is just a chat and our opinions, not advice! Find our podcasts on Spotify and apple podcasts www.pcslegal.co.uk www.adaptlaw.co.uk