Conveyancing is an exciting and increasingly popular career prospect for young people everywhere. It is a fascinating area, involving both business and law. A licensed conveyancer is a specialist lawyer qualified in all aspects of property law. They are also commissioners for oaths and increasingly, many also do probate work, which is the process for enacting someone’s will after their death. Licensed conveyancers deal with hundreds of property cases every year.

Licensed conveyancers can go down many paths in their careers. They can start working at small firms, then move on to larger organisations and some even work for local authorities. Many others even establish their own businesses.

Studying for conveyancing involves fast paced study combined with speedy training. Students have to complete at least one year full-time conveyancing experience, submit written assignments and sit exams in all aspects of property law. While it can take a minimum time period of 2 years, most people work with their studies and on average, take 4 years to complete the course.

In order to apply, you will need at least four GCSE passes at grades A to C (or equivalent), with one of them being English language. However, if you already have other legal qualifications such as a degree in law, you may be exempt from part or all of the academic requirements for the licensed conveyancer qualification. Besides passing the CLC exam, you also have to have two years of training under a qualified employer, in order to get your conveyancing license. If you have previous legal work experience you should be able to bypass some or all of the practical training period. This may reduce the training time to 6 to 18 months. Furthermore, legal qualifications such as an LPC, GDL, CILEx or a law degree may let you be exempt from giving some of the exams. After you have completed all the CLC exams and the practical training requirement, you will receive a license that qualifies your employment. In order to apply for a full and proper license, you must stay in qualifying employment for another three years. After this, you could set up in business on your own, in partnership or as a limited company, based on your skills, competence, knowledge and experience.

Conveyancing requires some certain skills, especially if you want to be a successful conveyancer. Conveyancers should have good ‘people’ skills that is, they need to be able to communicate effectively. They should be confident and must know how to put their clients at ease and explain complex legal terms to them. Moreover, they should also know how to be tactful and negotiate with the other party. They should also have good writing skills. They must also have the ability to deal with people from all backgrounds and display calmness under pressure. They must be able to pay attention to detail, and have an eye for accuracy. As there are a lot of financial calculations, they must have good mathematical skills. Moreover, IT skills are also required for research and record keeping.

Conveyancing involves more than just negotiating and filing paperwork. Licensed conveyancers have to advise their clients about the legal decisions throughout the buying/selling process. The job also includes lots of researching and surveying properties and the areas around them. This includes asking local authorities about any plans that might affect the property in the future. They also have to draft details of the sale, create drafts of the contract and liaise with mortgage lenders, estate agents and solicitors. Other duties include paying taxes such as stamp duty, preparing leases and transfer documents, keeping records of payments and making sure that the contracts are signed and exchanged.

If you enjoy commerce, law and dealing with people, then conveyancing is the ideal career for. It is exciting and fulfilling and is generally enjoyable for everyone involved.