Conveyancing Negligence: Claiming Against Your Property Solicitor
Property transactions are where small legal oversights turn into six-figure losses. Where a conveyancer failed to investigate, report or protect properly, the claim runs against their compulsory insurance.
Last reviewed: August 2026
The failures we see most
- Searches not carried out, or results not reported to the buyer
- Restrictive covenants, easements and rights of way missed
- Short leases, onerous ground rent or defective lease terms not flagged
- Planning permission or building regulation issues overlooked
- Boundary and title discrepancies not investigated
- Registration failures leaving title or a charge unprotected
- Purchase funds diverted after intercepted email correspondence
What you must prove
That the solicitor owed you a duty, that their work fell below the standard of a reasonably competent conveyancer, and that the failure caused a loss you would otherwise have avoided. Causation is where these claims are usually won or lost: the question is what you would have done had you been properly advised.
Evidence to collect
- The full conveyancing file — you are entitled to request it
- The report on title and any search results provided
- Your correspondence with the firm, including emails about payment
- Survey or valuation reports from the purchase
- Evidence of the defect and quotes for remedial work
What a claim is worth
Damages usually reflect the diminution in value — what the property was worth with the defect compared with what you paid — plus reasonable consequential losses. Where the property is unsaleable or the defect is fundamental, the figures rise accordingly.
Complaint or claim?
Service complaints can go to the Legal Ombudsman, which is free but limited in what it can award. Where the financial loss is significant, a professional negligence claim against the firm's insurers is the route that recovers the full measure.
Free file review
Send us the report on title and details of what went wrong. We will tell you whether the conveyancer's work was defensible and what a claim would realistically recover.
Common questions
What counts as conveyancing negligence?
Failing to carry out or report on searches, missing restrictive covenants or rights of way, not spotting a short or defective lease, failing to advise on planning or building regulation issues, registration errors, and failing to protect you against known transaction risks.
My deposit was diverted by email fraud. Is the firm liable?
It can be. Where a firm's systems or practices allowed payment details to be intercepted, or the firm failed to verify a change of bank details properly, responsibility may rest with the firm and its insurers. These cases turn on the detail of what each side did and when.
How is compensation measured?
Typically the difference between what you paid and what the property was actually worth with the defect known, plus consequential losses such as remedial costs, additional finance costs and wasted expenditure.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Generally six years from the negligent act, with a possible three-year extension from when you knew, or reasonably should have known, about the problem — subject to a fifteen-year longstop. Property defects often surface years later, so the extension frequently matters.
Free, no-obligation case assessment
Tell us what happened and we will tell you honestly whether your loss is realistically recoverable. If it is not, we say so — there is no charge and no obligation to proceed.
Start your free assessment