A recently formed conveyancing lobby group has warned that the Government’s planned overhaul of the home buying and selling process in England and Wales is an ‘existential threat’ to small regional law firms.

The new National Conveyancing Task Force (CTF) says Labour’s proposals, which are now being consulted, go far beyond procedural improvement and risk “transferring responsibility away from qualified, regulated professionals and into the hands of commercial operators with little accountability”, says spokesperson Stephen Larcombe.

“For the first time in decades, the structure, scope and accountability of conveyancing are being reshaped under the influence of regulators, lenders and technology companies, with minimal practitioner oversight.

“The public must understand what is really at stake – this isn’t about speed; it’s about integrity.”

“The public must understand what is really at stake – this isn’t about speed; it’s about integrity.”

The Government consultation raises 26 questions covering every stage of the homebuying and selling process – from “upfront information” to digital property logbooks and the use of artificial intelligence in conveyancing.

The CTF has written to all Local Law Societies, inviting them to engage with the consultation and circulate the CTF’s online survey to their conveyancing members.

The survey mirrors the Government’s consultation questions and will form the basis of a collective, profession-led response to ensure practising solicitors’ views are properly represented.

“This is a pivotal moment for the profession,” adds Larcombe. “If Local Law Societies and practising solicitors don’t engage now, decisions will be made without us – and about us.

“The CTF is not anti-reform. We simply insist that reform strengthens, rather than undermines, public trust and professional independence.”