Hart Brown named as one of the first firms in the UK to be accredited under the new Conveyancing Quality Scheme

Hart Brown named as one of the first firms in the UK to be accredited under the new Conveyancing Quality Scheme

Just 20 firms have been recognised for meeting the Law Society's comprehensive quality standards for residential conveyancing practices.

Hart Brown, a leading law firm with offices throughout Surrey and in London, today announced that, it is one of the first law firms to be accredited under the new Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). Launched by the Law Society, the CQS provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices, and will therefore enable Hart Brown to enjoy even greater credibility with its key stakeholders, including regulators, lenders, insurers and its clients. Just 20 law firms have achieved this to date.

In addition to assessing the integrity of the Hart Brown's Senior Responsible Officer and other key conveyancing staff, the CQS also examined the firm's adherence to good practice management standards generally, and to prudent and efficient conveyancing procedures. The scheme, which is supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, has been open for applications since December 2010.

"The aim of the CQS scheme is not only to improve the quality of conveyancing, but also to encourage the public to work with firms that have proven their ability to meet these stringent standards consistently," says David Knapp, Partner and Head of Residential Property, Hart Brown. "To be in the first batch of those accredited is a testimony to our excellent quality procedures, the staff involved in the conveyancing process, and also to our accounts team, who also needed to be carefully vetted in order for us to demonstrate compliance with CQS standards."

According to the Law Society, the aim of the scheme is not only to reinforce consistency of standards throughout the conveyancing process, but also to reduce the risk of fraud and give consumers peace of mind when it comes to home buying. Practices applying to join the scheme must undergo a robust assessment and will be required to renew their membership of the scheme each year.

In addition to improving the quality of UK conveyancing, the CQS scheme will help to create a trusted community better equipped to deter fraud. As such, although CQS membership will not guarantee acceptance onto lenders' panels, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has indicated that membership is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join/remain on their panels in the future.

"At Hart Brown we understand that whether you are buying or selling a property, you'll want to have the process explained to you in simple and easy to understand language, be kept informed throughout the process, and have the process proceed as smoothly as possible," David Knapp continues. "Schemes like the CQS help us to highlight our expertise in all of these important areas, and to ensure that one of the most expensive purchases or sales you are likely to make is handled properly, and with clear and consistent communication throughout the entire process."

Find out more about Hart Brown's Residential Property Conveyancing department


David Knapp, Partner, Residential property conveyancing, Hart Brown