News

HSBC Panel Registration Now Open

9 October, 2014

We wrote to you on 23rd September with details of the agreement with HSBC that will enable all Licensed Conveyancer firms to act for HSBC as well as the home buyer. Read that message again. Registering as a user will enable CLC-regulated firms to receive conveyancing instructions and download relevant legal documentation to be able to [Read more]

Licensed Conveyancer – A diverse profession

30 September, 2014

Thank you to everyone who took part in the collection of data about the diversity of the CLC Regulated Community.  The response rate was excellent and has given us a very good understanding of the make-up of the profession. Read our analysis of the diversity of the profession or see the detailed, anonymised, statistics.   We want to [Read more]

HSBC Conveyancing Panel Update

23 September, 2014

The CLC and HSBC are now in the final stages of agreeing the processes that will ensure that the bank’s systems incorporate all CLC firms within its mortgage conveyancing arrangements. The new arrangements, agreed in July, will be introduced on 15th October 2014. Read this important information about what you need to do now. The [Read more]

Conveyancing Apprenticeship Success

20 August, 2014

The Government has today announced the success of the Trailblazer consortium of employers facilitated by the CLC Conveyancing Apprenticeships developed by the group create a new route to becoming a Licensed Conveyancer and establishes the role of Conveyancing Technician. Work is underway to ensure first apprenticeships can begin in the second quarter of 2015. The [Read more]

Bogus/’Clone’ Firms Warning

13 August, 2014

There have been a number of reports of bogus offices being set up as clones of legal practices in order to steal mortgage loans or advances or even client/account information. CLC firms need also to be aware that there is a risk that their own firm might be cloned, with their own letter-heading, website, email [Read more]

Access to the HSBC panel for Licensed Conveyancers

31 July, 2014

HSBC has agreed that, beginning this autumn, all Licensed Conveyancers will automatically be able to act for the Bank as long as they are currently licensed by the CLC. The only restriction is in respect of sole practitioners who are limited to cases where the mortgage does not exceed £150,000, in line with HSBC’s usual [Read more]

CLC webinar

31 July, 2014

We’d like to thank everyone who tuned in to our most recent webinar. If you were unable to join or would like to watch again, please click on the link to our podcast below. Click here. If you have any questions, please email our Chief Executive at ceo@clc-uk.org

CLC on firm footings

23 May, 2014

The CLC is today publishing its Financial Statements for 2013 here. They show that new Chief Executive Sheila Kumar, working with the Chair and Council, has put the specialist property law regulator onto a solid financial footing. There were unforeseeable additional burdens on the CLC in 2013 because of an increase in the number and scale [Read more]

Conveyancing Apprenticeship: round Two Consultation

23 May, 2014

The Consortium of employers that is developing the new conveyancing apprenticeship is seeking views on the latest draft of the apprenticeship standard and day one outcomes. This is further to a consultation at the end of April that provided useful feedback on the work that had been done up to that stage. Read the feedback [Read more]

Data about the CLC regulated community

23 May, 2014

CLC currently publishes core information about individuals and businesses regulated by us on our website under ‘Find a Licensed Conveyancer’. In common with other regulators in the legal sector and further to discussions led by the Legal Services Board and Legal Services Consumer Panel the Council for Licensed Conveyancers is now making available that information [Read more]

Regulatory Fees 2014/15: Have your say

21 May, 2014

Consumer Contracts Regulations

19 May, 2014

The Consumer Contract (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/3134) apply to contracts entered in or after 13 June 2014. •    They regulate most contracts made between a ‘trader’ and a ‘consumer’ •    Although there is some uncertainty as to the type of contracts to which they apply, you should assume that the [Read more]

CLC statement in Legal Ombudsman report “Complaints in Focus: Stamp Duty”

8 May, 2014

The Legal Ombudsman’s report published today 8th May 2014 Complaints in Focus: Stamp Duty throws further light onto an issue that the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has been raising for some months with HMRC, the Land Registry and our regulatory partners. Our expertise as specialist regulators of conveyancing and property law has given us insight [Read more]

CLC urges government not to give up on legal service modernisation

7 May, 2014

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers was disappointed with the Ministry of Justice’s announcement that it plans to do nothing more in relation to the review of regulation of legal services on 1 May 2014. We are surprised that a review under the Red Tape Challenge deregulatory agenda is not able to identify any measures that [Read more]

CLC consults on greater openness and transparency in regulation

25 April, 2014

Presumption in favour of publication of regulatory information Greater openness in the interests of the regulated community as well as consumers Licensed Conveyancers and stakeholders invited to comment on plans The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has today launched a six week consultation asking for views on its proposals for publishing data about the disciplinary history [Read more]

View the CLC webinar on the conveyancing apprenticeship

24 April, 2014

The CLC webinar of 24th April 2014 is now available to view on demand. It looks in detail at the development of a new apprenticeship in conveyancing and updates on other current topics. You can view the webinar here.

Conveyancers asked to comment on apprenticeships

23 April, 2014

The Conveyancing Apprenticeship Trailblazer Consortium is running a rapid consultation on its emerging plans for a new apprenticeship in conveyancing. Work is progressing well against the very tight timetable as part of the programme being led by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The Consortium is anxious to get the views of a wide [Read more]

Searches and railway tunnels

7 April, 2014

Important reminder relating to central London, central Newcastle and central Glasgow. Those commissioning searches for sites in inner London (including Docklands) should ensure that all searches consider Network Rail and Transport for London tunnels. Searches in central Newcastle should consider the Tyne and Wear Metro (Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive) and in central Glasgow [Read more]

Complaints handling

4 April, 2014

We’ve amended the example complaints procedure in the Complaints Guidance section of the Handbook  to reflect the timeframes applied by LeO and already referenced earlier/elsewhere in the Guidance. You should ensure that your own procedures take account of those timeframes. You might be interested to read the Legal Ombudsman’s Guide to Good Complaints Handling which identifies some [Read more]

CLC facilitates creation of a new apprenticeship in conveyancing

4 March, 2014

BIS-sponsored trailblazer consortium to develop a new occupational standard and apprenticeship in conveyancing Council for Licensed Conveyancers facilitating work by employer group as part of its commitment to innovation and growth in the sector New apprenticeship to support broad access to conveyancing profession, increase flexibility in training and set new, stand-alone professional standard The Council [Read more]

CLC seeks three new council members

24 January, 2014

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is looking for new members of our governing Council who can help us move the organisation forward. Candidates will have strong records in one or more of the following: finance and corporate services academic or policy work in the legal services or property markets consumer advocacy

CLC Christmas closure

18 December, 2013

The CLC offices will be closed over the festive period from Tuesday 24th December and will re-open on Thursday 2nd January 2013. If you need to contact us urgently, please leave a message by calling 01245 349599. Season’s Greetings from all at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers!

Reeve Fisher & sands (Partnership)

11 December, 2013

The CLC intervened into the practice of Reeve Fisher & Sands on 11 December 2013. We are working with the practices listed below to seek to minimise the disruption to former clients of Reeves Fisher & Sands. Clients of CLC-regulated firms are protected in a number of ways. First through rigorous, specialist regulation of specialised [Read more]

Call for expression of interest in apprenticeship trailblazers scheme

28 November, 2013

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is reviewing paths to qualification as a Licensed Conveyancer to make sure they fit the needs of legal businesses. The Conveyancing Association is supporting this initiative. The CLC is looking for representatives from firms that train Licensed Conveyancers or employ students on the route to qualification as a Licensed Conveyancer. [Read more]

Hempsted property and Probate Lawyers

20 November, 2013

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) intervened in Hempsted Property & Probate Lawyers of 12 Queensberry Road, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9AU on Wednesday 20th November 2013. We would like to assure existing clients of Hempsted Property & Probate Lawyers that the CLC is working to ensure that outstanding conveyancing transactions can proceed with minimal inconvenience. [Read more]