Conveyancing is often thought to be a straightforward process, but the truth is very different. Problems with potential fraud, claims by lenders and title disputes are not infrequent. In order to protect consumers, the Law Society launched, in January 2011, the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) in order to provide a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices.

The CQS is supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies Association and the Association of British Insurers.

Firms wishing to become members of the CQS will have to:

• demonstrate at least three years’ conveyancing experience;
• satisfy checks on their probity;
• show that their practice has high quality standards, consistently applied;
• subscribe to a ‘clients’ charter’, designed to ensure high-quality service delivery; and
• have robust quality assurance backed up by a regulatory regime including ‘spot checks’ and audits by trained assessors.