Conveyancing

Our Conveyancers

Your conveyancer will be Jemery Westcott, a solicitor with decades of experience. Laura Catania oversees all the conveyancing departments. Laura Catania, Partner and licensed conveyancer with over 10 years of experience.

Timescale

According to Right Move, the national average for a conveyancing transaction is currently 20 weeks from agreeing the sale to moving home. There are various things that will affect the speed of a transaction such as the length of the chain or personal circumstances of people within the chain. We will do everything that we can to progress your transaction as swiftly as possible.

Purchase what is and what is not included:

What is included?

  • Arranging identification checks for up to 2 people (any additional checks required are at £18.00 (£15 plus VAT at 20%) per check.
  • Reviewing the title documents and reporting to you on these
  • Raising enquiries with the sellers solicitors
  • Arranging and advising you on the results of any searches
  • Advising you on your mortgage where applicable
  • Arranging your signature to the documents needed for the purchase to go through
  • Arranging exchange of contracts to take place
  • Arranging completion of your purchase
  • Submitting your SDLT documentation and paying the SDLT calculated where applicable
  • Dealing with your landlord and/or management company (if leasehold)
  • Registering the property with the Land Registry

What is not included?

  • Acting on accompany purchase.
  • Dealing with beneficial ownership arrangements.
  • Drafting a Deed of Covenant if required by a Landlord or Management Company.
  • Dealing with a management company if the property is freehold.
  • Arranging indemnity insurance.
  • Gifted Deposits.
  • Non-standard mortgages.
  • Dealing with failure to complete the transaction (at the fault of either party) once exchange has taken place.
  • Transfers of party of a registered piece of land.
  • Lease extensions.
  • Claims for breach of contract or misrepresentation following completion.
  • Equity release mortgages.
  • Unregistered property.
  • Buying with tenants in situ.
  • Transferring the share in a freehold property (where the main property is leasehold)
  • Identifying SDLT reliefs or exemptions
  • Advising on complex SDLT situations – this is a self-assessment Tax
  • Anything not listed as included in the above

Purchase timeframes:

According to Right Move, the national average for a conveyancing transaction is currently 20 weeks from agreeing the sale to moving home. There are various things that will affect the speed of a transaction such as the length of the chain or personal circumstances of people within the chain.
We will do everything that we can to progress your transaction as swiftly as possible.

Sale what is and what is not included:

What is included?

  • Arranging identification checks for up to 2 people (any additional checks required are at £18.00 (£15 plus VAT at 20%) per check.
  • Obtaining all title documents.
  • Issuing contract papers to the buyer’s solicitors.
  • Dealing with enquiries of the buyer and their solicitor.
  • Arranging your signature to the documents needed for the sale to go through.
  •  Arranging exchange of contracts to take place
  • Arranging completion of your sale
  • Paying off any mortgages secured against the property
  • Dealing with your landlord and/or management company (if leasehold)

What is not included?

  • Dealing with any title defect for your property.
  • Dealing with a management company if the property is freehold.
  • Arranging indemnity insurance.
  • Dealing with second and additional mortgages or restrictions on the sale of the property.
  • Drafting a Deed of Covenant if required by a Landlord or Management Company.
  • Dealing with a management company if the property is freehold.
  • Arranging indemnity insurance.
  • Dealing with failure to complete the transaction (at the fault of either party) once exchange has taken place.
  • Transfers of party of a registered piece of land.
  • Lease extensions.
  • Claims for breach of contract or misrepresentation following completion.
  • Equity release mortgages.
  • Unregistered property.
  • Selling with tenants in situ.
  • Transferring the share in a freehold property (where the main property is leasehold)
  • Tax advice such as (but not limited to) Capital Gains Tax.
  • Anything not listed as included in the above

Sale timeframes:

According to Right Move, the national average for a conveyancing transaction is currently 20 weeks from agreeing the sale to moving home. There are various things that will affect the speed of a transaction such as the length of the chain or personal circumstances of people within the chain. We will do everything that we can to progress your transaction as swiftly as possible.

Remortgage What is and is not included:

What is included?

  • Arranging identification checks for up to 2 people (any additional checks required are at £18.00 (£15.00 plus VAT) per check.
  • Obtaining all title documents.
  • Requesting redemption (repayment) figures from current mortgage lenders.
  • Review of your mortgage offer, reporting to you on the documentation provided and any special conditions, and acting for your mortgage lender.
  • Arranging your signature to the documents needed for the remortgage to go through.
  • Arranging completion of your remortgage.
  • Paying off any current mortgages secured against the Property.
  • Registration of your new mortgage with HM Land Registry.

What is not included?

  • Dealing with any title defect for your property to enable the remortgage to complete.
  • Dealing with a management company if the property is freehold.
  • Dealing with a Landlord and/or management company if the property is Leasehold.
  • Arranging indemnity insurance.
  • Searches where your mortgage lender requires them.
  • Dealing with second and additional mortgages or restrictions on the remortgage of the property.
  • Transfer of ownership between registered owners.
  • Drafting a Deed of Covenant if required by a Landlord or Management Company.
  • Transfers of party of a registered piece of land.
  • Lease extensions.
  • Equity release mortgages.
  • Unregistered property.
  • Remortgaging with tenants in situ.
  • Tax advice such as (but not limited to) Capital Gains Tax.
  • Anything not listed as included in the above

Remortgage timeframes:

According to Right Move, the national average for a remortgage transaction is currently 8 weeks from receipt of the mortgage offer. There are various things that will affect the speed of a remortgage transaction such as the length of a lease or any other defects in title or special conditions that the mortgage lender requires.
We will do everything that we can to progress your remortgage as swiftly as possible.

Probate

Our Private Client Team

Your Will, Probate or Lasting Power of Attorney will be James Lightfoot, a solicitor with decades of experience. Laura Harrington-Rutterford oversees all the Private Client departments.

Timescale

Overall Probate can take anything from 6 to 18 months depending on the complexity. Your solicitor will advise you on the most likely timescale when you enquire.

The Probate Process

When somebody dies, their Assets must be collected in, any Liabilities paid and the Estate then distributed amongst the Beneficiaries. This is called administering the Estate.

This is a job for the Personal Representatives (PRs). The PRs may be set out in the deceased’s Will (if there is one) or, if there is no Will, depending on who is entitled to inherit under the Intestacy rules.

First, the PRs must write to all Asset holders to get valuations of the deceased’s Assets on the date they died. For bank accounts, this will be a statement. For property, they will need three professional valuations. For specific assets, like collections and shares, there are special valuation rules.

Then, the PRs must also ascertain the extent of any Liabilities of the deceased.

Once the value of the Estate is known, the PRs must decide which IHT Forms and

Next, the Probate Forms must be completed to obtain the Grant of Representation.

Finally, once the Grant of Representation has been obtained (but before the PRs can pay out anything to the Beneficiaries), the PRs must pay any Inheritance Tax (IHT) but also consider if there is any Capital Gains Tax or Income Tax to pay on the increase in value or income received since the date of death. Any tax due and administration costs incurred can be deducted from the estate before being distributed amongst the beneficiaries.

For more information, please download our useful probate leaflet.