SRA looks at the public's experience of conveyancing
Solicitors Regulation Authority
2 min read
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will be researching the experiences of people who have used conveyancing services offered by solicitors.
Around 1,000 former conveyancing clients will be asked their views on the legal aspect of their house purchase or sale. The SRA will use this information to help shape the way it regulates.
Independent researchers, IFF Research, will ask the public for their experiences of the conveyancing legal process, looking at access, choice, quality and cost. The study will draw out good and poor practice, and any specific areas of concern that we might need to address.
The project will also look at a number of specific issues, including how people think technology is speeding up and simplifying the process and their experience of any risks, such as cybercrime.
Crispin Passmore, SRA Executive Director, Policy, said: "The research will play an important role in increasing our understanding of the conveyancing market. We want to know how it is changing, and how changes elsewhere - such as fixed fees and technology - will affect the experiences of solicitors and those who use their services."
The SRA conducted research on solicitor experiences of conveyancing in 2013. Further information can be found here: http://www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/press/conveyancing-survey.page
The SRA paid out £10 million to the public last year (November 2015 to October 2016) from its Compensation Fund. More than £1million of this related to conveyancing matters, paying grants to replace stolen funds that were intended for house deposits.
The latest research project aims to report back in the autumn.
