Choosing a conveyancer is fraught with pitfalls, and my other articles point you in the right direction.
But one of my top tips is making sure that your conveyancer is Lexcel accredited. Such accreditation also ensures that you really do have an actual solicitor firm acting for you, as such a quality standard is only open to solicitors compared to other conveyancers - for obvious reasons.
The Law Society state that "Lexcel is the Law Society's practice management standard. It is a scheme for any type of practice to certify that certain standards have been met following independent assessment. The Lexcel practice management standard is only awarded to solicitors who meet the highest management and customer care standards. Lexcel accredited practices undergo rigorous independent assessment every year to ensure they meet required standards of excellence in areas such as client care, case management and risk management."
Full details of the accreditation standard can be viewed at http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/productsandservices/lexcel.page
But how do you locate such a solicitor firm who has such accreditation? The following website is probably the most widely used and reliable solicitor directory http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/choosingandusing/findasolicitor.law
Simply enter a postcode, press search' and a list of solicitor firms will be displayed. But only those marked with a small blue circle logo on the far right against the Firm will be evidence of their accreditation. You will see that even the Law Society warns the public to look for Firms with the accreditation. As a result and of continuing benefit to the public firms are increasing applying for assessment.
But whilst Lexcel accreditation is one factor, there are many others that will guide you in securing the best conveyancer you can for the fee you will expect to pay for a good quality conveyancing service. Not all accredited solicitor firms are the same, and so make sure that they do not delegate your house move to someone they employ that is unqualified. Demand your own personal conveyancing solicitor or legal executive which many many people do, often paying a lower fee than some estate agent referred conveyancers who are barely fit to call themselves conveyancers'.