BCL Legal is unique within the legal recruitment field as we offer a specialist service to those seeking work within the residential property and remortgage fields. We have a team of specialist consultants that focus purely on this niche market place and are able to fully understand and answer the needs of clients and candidates alike across the country.
The conveyancing market is evolving rapidly and has seen many changes within recent years from the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPS) to a change in market trends and further moves towards the introduction of Econveyancing.
There are many opportunities for those seeking work within the residential conveyancing sector. As well as firms of solicitors or specialist licensed conveyancing centres, there are also opportunities with various financial institutions including mortgage lenders, banks and building societies. Many local authorities will employ those trained within residential property and opportunities will also present themselves in-house within property developers or panel management companies.
What is the work like?
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring a house or flat, commercial building and / or piece of land from one owner to another. The legal work is carried out by specialist property lawyers who will deal with all of the contractual paperwork and financial dealings involved when buying and selling property or land.
There are opportunities to specialise within residential or commercial property, plot sales and residential development, sales repossession or re-mortgage work.
Who can become a Conveyancer?
Residential conveyancing offers opportunities at all levels of expertise from entry level law graduates, secretarial and support staff, to fee earners and fully qualified solicitors and licensed Conveyancers.
Although beneficial, qualifications are not essential when considering a career within this practice area. As such both qualified and non qualified fee earners can hold responsibility for a personal caseload and will have accountability for files from initial instruction through to completion stage. Many successful fee earners will rise up through the ranks and swift career progression is often an attraction when considering a career within conveyancing.
Career Progression
Alternative career paths will also open up as you progress your career and gain more experience with opportunities available within training and development, client relationship management and at team leader / management level in a typically non fee earning capacity.
What qualifications can I gain?
Many specialist property lawyers who go onto gain qualifications within the field will chose to qualify either as a Solicitor, Legal Executive or as a Licensed Conveyancer.
To become a Licensed Conveyancer you must complete the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) Course. The CLC is the regulatory body for Licensed Conveyancers across England and Wales.
Entry requirements for the course stand at 4 GCSEs including English at Grade C or above although ILEX students and those with a law degree may also apply and may be exempt from certain academic elements of the course.
The course consists of academic exams and two years practical training completed under the supervision of a licensed conveyancer or solicitor. Upon completion of this you will be awarded your first licence and be able to practice property law as a licensed conveyancer. This first licence is known as a "limited" or "employed" licence. After three further years of qualifying employment you will then be able to apply for a full licence enabling you to reach partnership within practice, or set up in business on your own.
The Licensed Conveyancing Certificate is highly regarded within the property sector offering equal status to that of a solicitor and as such solicitors are able to cross qualify via interview with the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
Partnership and Director level roles are unattainable in the present legal market without a solicitor or licensed conveyancing qualification and as such those seeking a management level or supervisory role will find that the Licensed Conveyancing course offers an excellent route for career progression.
For further information please contact the Council of Licensed Conveyancing at www.conveyancer.org.uk
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