Online conveyancing is when the legal processes involved in buying or selling a property happen solely online or over the phone. You do not meet your solicitor face to face, and instead rely on updates via an online portal or by email, phone, or app.
Most people who choose online conveyancing do so because of the costs savings and increased efficiency it purports to offer. However, these benefits are sometimes exaggerated, and while online conveyancing has some undeniable benefits in the right situation, there are also some notable drawbacks of which you should be aware.
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What Is Online Conveyancing?
Online conveyancing refers to the process of handling the legal transfer of property ownership (essentially, buying or selling a house or a flat) through a solicitor or licensed conveyancer who operates solely online. Rather than holding traditional in-person meetings and using paper documents, those who offer online conveyancing services rely on digital tools, such as secure portals, email, and e-signatures, to meet their clients’ needs and handle transactions.
What Are The Advantages Of Online Conveyancing?
Some of the main advantages often discussed in the context of online conveyancing include the following:
• Convenience
Instead of visiting a solicitor’s office in person, clients utilising online conveyancing services can complete most tasks remotely. Identification checks, form submissions, and progress updates are handled through secure online portals, email, or phone calls. That said, most firms specialising in conveyancing work, like Bartlett’s, offer all these forms of communication in addition to traditional ones, such as face-to-face meetings.
• Cost Savings
Many people believe that online conveyancing is a cheaper alternative to traditional conveyancing. While this will no doubt be true in some cases, to say that online conveyancing is always the cheapest option is to oversimplify the matter, particularly when a matter is complex or protracted.
• Speed
Not having to visit a solicitor’s office in person can speed up the conveyancing process to some extent. However, the usual causes of delays, such as the other side dragging their heels, cannot be circumvented by using online as opposed to traditional conveyancing services. Indeed, in some cases, online conveyancing can lead to further delays, since there may be no one point of contact responsible for your file and going the extra mile to facilitate the completion of your transaction. Furthermore, the vast majority of traditional solicitors’ firms now offer their clients the choice to handle their matter remotely should they wish.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Online Conveyancing?
Online conveyancing has several significant limitations, which clients must consider before deciding which type of service to use when buying or selling property. Some of the most often cited disadvantages of online conveyancing include the following:
• Lack Of Personal Contact
The complete lack of personal contact involved in online conveyancing is one of the most significant drawbacks for many clients. Buying or selling a property is often an important life event, and many people value the peace of mind that comes with having the option of holding face-to-face meetings with the legal team handling their transaction.
• Quality Issues
Traditional conveyancing firms are often longstanding members of their local communities who receive much of their work through word of mouth and personal recommendation. As a result, they tend to offer high levels of service and go the extra mile to ensure their clients’ transactions complete as quickly and seamlessly as possible. By contrast, online conveyancing firms are inherently impersonal, and clients often find the level of service they receive is inferior to that provide by traditional solicitors’ practices.
• Not Equipped To Handle Complex Matters
Complex transactions in particular may be less suited to an online conveyancing model. Unusual property titles, leasehold arrangements, shared ownership, or disputes often require more tailored advice and negotiation. In these circumstances, having a local solicitor with whom you and others involved in the transaction can meet face-to-face is often more effective.
Do We Offer Online Conveyancing At Bartlett’s?
At Bartlett’s, we are proud to operate as a traditional solicitors’ firm and to offer the exemplary levels of service you would expect from a longstanding firm like ours. That said, we actively embrace new technology to make our clients’ lives easier, and we can provide our services through a variety of means, including virtual meetings, emails, and over the phone. In-person meetings are not mandatory, although we find that many of our clients prefer to sit down with their solicitor and talk through their transaction as opposed to dealing with them solely online. So, while we are not an online conveyancing firm in the true sense, our clients are very welcome to deal with us remotely as much or as little as they wish. Essentially, when you instruct Bartlett’s to handle your property sale or purchase, you get the best of both worlds: a personal service and exceptional value for money delivered however and whenever you desire.
To speak to our experts please call us free of charge on 0800 988 3674 or Make A Free Online Enquiry.
