A licensed conveyancer deals with legal issues involved when buying and selling property in the United Kingdom. They work with clients to get all necessary paperwork filed for commercial property transactions, including contracts, agreements to the sale and title deeds. They also deal with any of the client's questions about the process and use email, telephone, mail or meet in person to discuss and file the paperwork. A licensed conveyancer must also do a lot of research and be particularly careful to avoid any type of fraud in the process and to best protect his or her client.
The main role of a licensed conveyancer is to work on behalf of the client and to provide advice. When a client is interested in selling or purchasing a property, the conveyancer advises the client about any potential costs and requirements needed to complete the transaction. If the client does not know a lot of legal terminology, the licensed conveyancer has to be able to break down legal topics into understandable language and clear up any confusion that occurs. With technology being used more in the field, much of this communication with clients can be done on the Internet. Although some paperwork still needs to be signed and mailed, some forms can also be filed online, reducing the workload of both parties.
Although licensed conveyancers use much of their time working with clients, they also perform a lot of tasks in the background. They are responsible for filing registrations for land and for paying any required taxes. Much of a conveyancer's job requires that he or she be knowledgeable in contract laws.
He or she should be able to contact the proper authorities if it is believed that a contract could affect an existing or future one. The required knowledge about contracts means the licensing exam for conveyancers tests various topics in the fields of contract law and land rights. These topics are also emphasized in any university and training courses taken.
Licensed conveyancers need to be knowledgeable in both finance and accounting to complete transactions successfully. They need to be familiar with how mortgages work, how taxes on the land and property are calculated, and how to deal with funds. They are responsible for all financial issues in the transaction and should also keep their clients informed of the transactions, including mortgage payments.