As someone unfamiliar with the Bedford conveyancing process what’s the number one tip you can give me for the ownership transfer in Bedford

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Bedford or throughout Bedfordshire is often a confrontational process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists plenty of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. E.g., the vendor, estate agent and on occasion your bank. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Bedford is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the process whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.

There is a definite emergence in the "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your lawyer ahead of the other players when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

The Bedford conveyancing firm that just started acting on my house acquisition in Bedford have suddenly shut down. I chose them because I needed a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel and my family Bedford lawyer was not. I paid them money in advance. What do I do now?

If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.

I moved into my house on 12 March and my personal details are still not on the land registry website. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Bedford advises it would be concluded in a couple of weeks. Are titles in Bedford particularly slow to register?

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Bedford registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can adjust subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry need to notify any other persons or bodies. Currently roughly three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with within 12 days but some can be subject to longer hold-ups. Historically registration occurs once the purchaser is living at the premises therefore 'speed' is not usually primary concern but if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers could speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.

What does commercial conveyancing in Bedford cover?

Non domestic conveyancing in Bedford incorporates a wide range of advice, given by qualified solicitors, relating to business property. For example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of leases.

I need to assess costs for conveyancing in Bedford from numerous solicitor and choose one. Should I get them to sit tight until I have found somewhere to acquire.

You should only ask your property lawyer to open a file and apply for searches once the sales memorandum has been issued by the selling agent especially as Bedford conveyancing searches are costly.