While conveyancers and solicitors are equally qualified to do conveyancing, solicitors can also give you legal advice about other matters (such as on the contract for sale and contract terms). Solicitors must also have professional indemnity insurance for your protection.
The process of buying 'real property' is a bit more complex than buying a car. It takes around 6 weeks to complete a purchase or sale, during which time, legal searches, negotiations and mortgage procedures all need to come together to ensure the settlement goes through successfully.
As of 1 August 2016, legal practitioners in NSW are required by the Land & Property Information Service (LPI) to carry out a Verification of Identity of all clients for new conveyancing matters. Please see the linked flyer for more information on this process and for the list of acceptable identification documents. Please note we must sight the original of each of the forms of ID when you attend your appointment.