Conveyancers have been warned that failures in post-completion work are an ethical issue rather than simply an administrative problem as the regulator steps up scrutiny of Land Registry applications.
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) says avoidable requisitions from HM Land Registry continue to expose inconsistencies in the quality of applications submitted by firms.
The regulator is now examining requisition rates during inspections and has written to a number of practices recording higher-than-expected levels of avoidable queries.
Those firms have been asked to produce action plans setting out how they will reduce requisitions, with the CLC monitoring their effectiveness.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
In its Risk Agenda 2026, the CLC warns that describing the work as “post-completion” can wrongly suggest it is secondary or largely administrative.
It says: “The CLC expects practices to treat application accuracy as a core professional responsibility.”
Data on requisition rates is now shared with regulators, account holders and the public, with the CLC urging conveyancers to use the information to benchmark their performance.
PROBATE RISKS
The Risk Agenda also highlights probate and private client work for the first time, including potential consequences from inheritance tax changes due next April.
The CLC says changes bringing unused pension funds and death benefits within taxable estates could increase financial pressure and demand for short-term estate funding.
This could include specialist loans to meet inheritance tax liabilities while an estate is being administered and advances allowing beneficiaries earlier access to inheritance funds.
AI WARNING
Technology and artificial intelligence are also identified as areas requiring attention.
The CLC warns: “Ignoring technological change is not a neutral position – it is a risk.”
Stephen Ward (main picture, inset), Deputy Chief Executive of the CLC, says: “In busy practices, small issues can quickly become big ones if not tackled and the Risk Agenda forms part of our strategy to inform the profession of the regulatory hot spots.”
The Risk Agenda also covers anti-money laundering, complaints, conflicts of interest, breaches of undertaking, accounts and file storage.
