Williamsons leads the way with Law Society conveyancing accreditation

Williamsons Solicitors has become one of the first firms in the country to be accredited by the new Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) from the Law Society.

The scheme has been introduced by the legal profession’s governing body as a way of showing to the general public that law firms meet strict criteria for residential property conveyancing.

Williamsons Solicitors, with offices in Hull and Driffield, is one of the first 29 legal practices across the country to have successfully gained the accreditation.

The firm, which has three solicitors and five support staff in its conveyancing department, applied for accreditation in advance of the introduction of new rules on conveyancing provision which come into force in October this year.

Jane Longhorn, head of conveyancing, said: “The aim of the CQS is to highlight to the general public the importance of using a solicitor to carry out conveyancing transactions. The accreditation assures our clients that they will be provided with a first rate service, guaranteed consistency of standards throughout the conveyancing process and give consumers peace of mind when it comes to conveyancing transactions.

“It shows that we are a quality practice, properly insured, with an excellent professional services record, offering products and services at a competitive price. In due course, mortgage lenders are expected to deal only with law firms that have the CQS accreditation.”

Williamsons underwent a rigorous assessment by the Law Society and was rated on the length and quality of its service, professionalism and experience. The assessment will be updated annually to ensure standards are maintained.

Bill Waddington, senior Director at Williamsons, said: “This CQS status marks our firm out as meeting excellent quality standards in the residential conveyancing process. We are one of the first practices in England to achieve the accreditation, which reflects the quality of our firm in this field. The expertise of our conveyancing staff has been clearly recognised, as has the standard of service we can offer to our customers.”

Conveyancing includes the sale and purchase of freehold and leasehold properties, remortgaging and transfers of equity. For more information on the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme, see: www.lawsociety.org.uk/cqs