Conveyancing and Horse Meat: What’s the Common Thread?

I think everyone by now has heard of the horse meat furore unfolding in the UK and Europe; the widespread contamination of processed beef products with up to 100% horse meat. How is this relevant to legal services pricing?  Simple really, it doesn’t matter whether you are talking processed meat or dubious legal services at the end of the day you get what you pay for.

We find this across all spectrums of legal services but particularly in the area of conveyancing.

People who shop around for the lowest price conveyancing are simply kidding themselves if they think they are going to get the same quality of service and professionalism as they would from a firm like ours and it never ceases to amaze that there are people dealing with the biggest investment of their lives, literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is going to be a home to their family for years to come, ringing around amongst the horse meat traders of the profession and then react in shock and horror when the standard of service doesn’t live up
to expectations.

For most people buying or selling a home is a very, very stressful time for them and their partner.  If issues arise people want them resolved immediately, if they have questions they want them answered, if things start to go wrong they want good sound legal advice.  All of a sudden that tender sirloin steak that was priced too good to be true turns out to be horse meat.

The trouble with cut price conveyancing firms is that because they are doing it so cheap they have to cut costs and cut corners.  What else can they do?  If they don’t they will go broke (and many of them do).

The trouble nowadays with the internet is that people think they have done their research in selecting a conveyancing firm simply by Googling “conveyancing” and then filling in an online quote.  That’s not research.  Speaking to family and friends, asking them who they used, were they happy with the service, were phone calls returned promptly,  was the firm competent in the advice they gave. That’s research.

Fortunately our clients are a bit more discerning and for that matter so are we in selecting clients to act for.  If someone is after “the cheapest quote” for conveyancing we are happy to send them elsewhere.  We’re by no means expensive but you can’t deliver good, competent professional advice at horse meat prices.