Choosing a Conveyancing Lawyer: Cairns
If you are looking at buying or selling property, you have probably heard the term ‘conveyancing’ quite a bit. But what exactly is conveyancing? In essence, conveyancing is the process that transfers the ownership of a property from one person or entity, to another. As you would imagine, this involves the consideration of many issues, and the careful preparation of important documents. Because of the complexity of the conveyancing process, most people choose to engage a conveyancing lawyer when buying or selling property. But how do you know which conveyancing lawyer to choose? There are many conveyancing lawyers in Cairns, but not all of them will offer you the same service or value for money. Property comes in all shapes and sizes, with specific regulations governing every sale and purchase. Larger properties, or ones with commercial involvement, are often more complicated to buy or sell.
Some conveyancing lawyers only offer their services for smaller, more simple property transactions. This means you need to make sure that your conveyancing lawyer is capable of meeting your needs.
Why is a Conveyancing Lawyer so Important?
Although it is not a legal requirement, engaging a conveyancing lawyer for property transactions is strongly advisable. Buying and selling property involves dealing with many technical points of law and every sale or purchase is different. A property sale or purchase is also likely to be one of the largest transactions you will ever undertake, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Property agreements are often tailored to the circumstances of the transaction, and the parties involved. This means that the documents and procedures involved in the process are challenging for those without much experience. It is crucial that each stage of the conveyancing process is completed perfectly. Any mistakes or oversights can cause many problems for you in the future. In fact, you stand to lose money and potentially even property if the conveyancing process is not completed properly. Fortunately, Cairns has skilled conveyancing lawyers with expertise in a diverse range of fields. If you take the time to assess your needs and choose the right conveyancing lawyer, your sale or purchase should be smooth and stress free.
How to Find the Best Conveyancing Lawyer Cairns Has to Offer
To avoid any costly issues when buying or selling a property, you should look for a good conveyancing lawyer. However, finding the best conveyancing lawyer Cairns has to offer is not always easy. There are many lawyers and paralegals offering conveyancing services, so choosing one can be difficult. To give yourself the best chance of finding a good conveyancing lawyer, it is worth doing some research. Most conveyancing lawyers in Cairns list their fields of expertise online, which can give you a clear picture of what they offer. There are a few things to look for in particular, and some of these are listed below.
Do your conveyancing lawyers have much experience in the Cairns region?
Every property transaction is different, which means that conveyancing lawyers must be at the top of their game to keep up. Of course, it is not always easy to assess the suitability of a conveyancing lawyer, but experience is always a good gauge of proficiency. Local experience in particular is always a desirable trait in conveyancing lawyers. If your conveyancing lawyer has many years of experience in Cairns, then they are likely to be familiar with the local property market. This is valuable for two reasons in particular. Firstly, their experience in the local property market will allow them to thoroughly assess your property agreement and provide accurate and pertinent advice. Secondly, their experience with local regulations will ensure that nothing is overlooked during the conveyancing process.
Does your conveyancing lawyer have the knowledge and experience to protect you if something unusual comes up?
No two properties are identical, and nor are any two conveyances. Property transactions involve at least one seller and one buyer, and like anything involving people, sometimes the parties will be fair and reasonable, sometimes not, and sometimes things happen which are beyond the control of either party. An experienced conveyancing lawyer has the knowledge and skill to be able to deal with the variety of issues which can arise, and to guide you safely through them, with minimal stress and inconvenience. Unfortunately some conveyancing lawyers delegate much of the task to inexperienced and untrained clerks, who do not know what to do when something out of the ordinary happens, or just miss an issue completely. In some cases there is not even a qualified lawyer in the office, supervising each step of the conveyance. Different properties also require a conveyancing lawyer to consider different issues and do different work. For example, the conveyance of a commercial building is quite different to a house, which is different to a unit in a holiday resort. Do some research on prospective conveyancing lawyers and find out about their knowledge and experience. Check who the person is who will be looking after your matter, and who the lawyer in charge is.
Do your conveyancing lawyers offer good value for money?
Conveyancing lawyers often charge vastly different fees. This makes it challenging to determine who offers the best value for money. There are many factors that contribute to the value of a conveyancing lawyer. Things like experience, fields of expertise and, of course, the nature of the transaction all have an effect on the fees charged by a conveyancing lawyer. Many conveyancing lawyers offer fixed fee quotes. This means that you know what costs are involved before you engage their services. Fixed fee conveyancing eliminates the risk of unexpected costs and allows you to assess the rates of your conveyancing lawyer before the process commences, but you need to make sure that you are comparing similar services, and that corners are not being cut in order to give you a lower price. It is also important to understand what searches and other outlays will be incurred on your property transaction and whether these charges are included in the quote provided. Where not included, you should ask to be provided with details of what searches will be undertaken, their purpose and the associated cost/s. Remember that saving $100 or so on a conveyancing quote is not good value if it puts at risk your $500,000 property, or a $50,000 deposit.
Choose the Right Conveyancing Lawyer for Your Cairns Property
Purchasing a property is probably the largest investment of your life, so it is important that everything is done to perfection. Finding a conveyancing lawyer that can meet your needs is vital and you should do so early in the process. Many people make the mistake of engaging conveyancing lawyers only after they have signed a contract of sale. What they do not realise, is that by that stage they may already have made an irreversible mistake. Conveyancing lawyers can provide you with accurate and detailed advice before you sign the contract. This will help you minimise the risks associated with your transaction and ensure that you are well informed throughout each stage of the process. There is some degree of risk in all property transactions. However, with a good conveyancing lawyer these risks can be significantly reduced. By taking a few precautions and doing some research, you can protect your investment with the help of a good conveyancing lawyer.
The conveyancing team at Miller Harris Lawyers has over 25 years’ experience with a wide range of property transactions in the Cairns and North Queensland market. Contact us to find out more about the services we offer and how we can help you with your property conveyance.