A solicitor is a qualified lawyer who can advise and act across the law, including buying and selling property. A licensed conveyancer is a specialist property lawyer, qualified and licensed to do conveyancing (the legal work of transferring ownership of a home) and, if separately licensed, probate. For an ordinary sale or purchase in England and Wales they have the same legal standing: the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) says a licensed conveyancer "can do everything that a solicitor can do in a conveyancing transaction".
The differences are in training, regulator and what else they can do. Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and can take on court work and other areas of law. Licensed conveyancers are regulated by the CLC, and CLC practices may only do non-contentious work. Chartered legal executives (CILEX lawyers) can also do conveyancing. You do not legally have to use any of them to sell your own home, but HM Land Registry says that where a mortgage is involved, most lenders will insist that a conveyancer is used. This guide covers England and Wales, where the rules below apply.
A conveyance is strictly a document, not a person: the Law of Property Act 1925 defines it to include a mortgage, charge, lease and "every other assurance of property", except a will. When people ask about the difference between a conveyance and a solicitor, they almost always mean a conveyancer and a solicitor.
A conveyancer, in GOV.UK's words, is "a legal professional whose role is to do the legal work of transferring the ownership of the home". The word is used loosely for anyone doing that work, and GOV.UK lists three types of professional who are "qualified and regulated" to do it: solicitors, licensed conveyancers, and chartered legal executives and CILEX practitioners.
The Legal Services Act 2007 makes "reserved instrument activities" one of six reserved legal activities. These include preparing a transfer or mortgage charge for HM Land Registry, applying to register it, and preparing other documents relating to property, including a contract for the sale of land. It is a criminal offence to carry on a reserved legal activity if you are not entitled to, punishable on indictment by up to two years in prison, a fine or both.
Two exemptions in the Act matter to home movers:
To qualify as a solicitor through the current SRA route, you need a degree in any subject (or an equivalent level 6 qualification), passes in both parts of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1 and SQE2), two years' full-time qualifying work experience or equivalent, and to pass the SRA's character and suitability checks.
To qualify as a licensed conveyancer, you complete the Level 4 and Level 6 Diplomas in Conveyancing Law and Practice (or approved equivalents) through a CLC-approved training provider and combine them with 1,200 hours of practical experience. The CLC says both diplomas can be completed in as little as 18 months, and no previous legal knowledge is needed to start.
Under the Act, the Law Society is an approved regulator for rights of audience in court and the conduct of litigation as well as conveyancing and probate, so a solicitor's firm can take a property problem to court or deal with related family or business matters.
The CLC says "CLC Practices may only provide non-contentious work", and treats a matter as contentious "when it becomes likely that an application will be made to court". At that point the CLC practice must stop acting, so you would need to move the matter to a firm that can go to court. CLC practices can also be given permission to offer wills, lasting powers of attorney, trusts and estate administration.
Both must carry professional indemnity insurance. Under the SRA's minimum terms, cover for any one claim must be at least £2 million, or £3 million for some types of firm. CLC practices must have a minimum of £2 million for each and every claim, with six years of run-off cover if a practice closes. HM Land Registry notes that if you use a conveyancer, "you will be covered by their professional insurance in the event that things go wrong". Both regulators also run discretionary compensation funds, which can help in limited circumstances, for example where money is lost through a firm's dishonesty and the firm cannot pay it back.
For a standard sale or purchase, neither type is better by default. Both have the same legal authority to act and both are regulated and insured, so the experience of the individual and the firm is the more useful thing to compare. The CLC says licensed conveyancers handle the sale and purchase of residential and commercial property and land, so a leasehold flat or a new-build does not in itself call for a solicitor. GOV.UK suggests checking that whoever you choose has the specialist skills needed if the property is "more complex than normal", such as a leasehold or listed building.
On price, the best independent evidence is the Legal Services Board's 2024 survey of conveyancing firms. For three of its five scenarios, including both purchases, it found no significant difference in average price between solicitors and licensed conveyancers' firms. For sales, solicitors' firms were dearer on average (mean prices): £1,149 against £989 for a freehold sale, and £1,395 against £1,200 for a leasehold sale, excluding VAT and disbursements.
A solicitor may be the better choice when:
Whichever you choose, the person running your file may be a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer, a CILEX lawyer or a supervised assistant. SRA-regulated firms that advertise conveyancing must publish the experience and qualifications of the people doing the work and of their supervisors, so ask who will handle yours.
No, not legally. GOV.UK says "you can choose to do your own conveyancing", and HM Land Registry says "anyone can carry out their own conveyancing without legal representation". Doing so is not straightforward, though:
For most sellers the question is therefore not whether to use a professional but which one. Our guide to what to expect from a solicitor when selling your Cambridge home covers the working relationship, and the stages of conveyancing sets out what your solicitor or conveyancer does from offer to registration.
The Legal Services Board surveyed solicitors' and licensed conveyancers' firms across England and Wales between September and November 2024 and published the results in June 2025. For a £285,000 property, the median quoted fees were:
These figures exclude VAT and disbursements such as search fees and Land Registry fees, and prices may have changed since late 2024. The survey found firms in cities charged significantly more on average than firms in towns in all five scenarios, London and the South West were the most expensive regions and the North the cheapest. It does not give figures for Cambridge, so compare quotes from local and national firms on the same basis.
About three quarters of firms charge a fixed fee, and fixed fees were on average cheaper. Both the SRA and the CLC require firms to display cost information on their websites for conveyancing. Under the SRA Transparency Rules this includes the total cost or a range, the basis of the charges, likely disbursements, whether VAT applies and what is included. For how the seller's bill is paid, see who pays for the seller's solicitor.
GOV.UK advises sellers to choose a legal representative "shortly before you put your home on the market" or as soon as possible once it is for sale, because this reduces delays. Buyers should instruct one as soon as their offer has been accepted. Our guide to how long solicitors take to process a house sale explains what holds sales up and how to avoid it. If you are planning a move in or around Cambridge, you can book a market valuation of your home and line up your conveyancer at the same stage.
If you are buying with a mortgage, GOV.UK suggests asking whether the firm is on your lender's panel of approved legal representatives.
The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is "a recognised quality standard for SRA-regulated firms in residential conveyancing", setting standards of competence, risk management and client service. The Law Society says it is "trusted by some of the UK's biggest lenders", and you can find accredited firms on its Find a Solicitor website by ticking "accredited specialists only". Because the scheme is for SRA-regulated firms, a CLC-regulated practice will not hold it, and its absence there is not a mark against the firm.
GOV.UK recommends getting quotes from more than one firm and asking:
Estate agents can recommend a conveyancer and may receive a referral fee for doing so. GOV.UK says the agent is obliged to tell you about any referral fee up front, and that you should not feel obliged to use anyone they recommend.
Complain to the firm first. Solicitors' firms must tell you how to complain to them, to the SRA and to the Legal Ombudsman. The firm has up to eight weeks to resolve the complaint, after which you can go to the Legal Ombudsman, which is free and covers solicitors, licensed conveyancers and legal executives among others. For complaints referred from 1 April 2023, you must go to the Ombudsman within six months of the firm's final response, and within one year of the problem or of when you found out about it.
The Legal Ombudsman deals with poor service and bills. Concerns about dishonesty or rule-breaking go to the regulator: the SRA for solicitors or the CLC for licensed conveyancers. The CLC says it cannot deal with poor service complaints, which go to the Ombudsman.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a solicitor or licensed conveyancer about your own circumstances.
For conveyancing, yes in legal terms. The CLC says licensed conveyancers can do everything a solicitor can do in a conveyancing transaction. Both are regulated and must hold professional indemnity insurance. The difference is that a CLC practice cannot take a matter to court, while a solicitor's firm can.
Sometimes. The Legal Services Board's 2024 survey found no significant price difference for purchases, but solicitors' firms charged more on average (mean prices) for sales: £1,149 against £989 for a freehold sale, excluding VAT and disbursements. Compare written quotes on the same basis.
There is no legal requirement, and you can do your own conveyancing. GOV.UK warns that mistakes could be costly and a buyer could sue you, and HM Land Registry says most lenders insist on a conveyancer where a mortgage is involved.
Usually not. HM Land Registry says most lenders will insist that a conveyancer is used when a mortgage is involved, and a buyer's lender will only instruct a firm on its own panel.
Complain to the firm first and allow it up to eight weeks. If you are still unhappy, the Legal Ombudsman can investigate for free, provided you contact it within six months of the firm's final response and within one year of the problem or of when you found out about it.
