The Charter sets out some key principles of conveyancing best practice in three key areas:

• Advice to seller clients,

• Expediency/efficiency/avoidance of unnecessary delays, and

• Accountability.

The Charter was developed following the work of the Housing for All Conveyancing and Probate Expert Group, established by the Taoiseach in December 2023 in order to review the conveyancing process from a user perspective and to recommend changes to reduce delays and costs.

A key recommendation from this Expert Group was to set a national target of eight weeks to complete a conveyancing process, from acceptance of an offer to closure of the sale. 

The Expert Group’s report made recommendations to achieve this target, including developing this Charter as a statement of best practice for estate agents and solicitors working together in conveyancing. The Expert Group’s recommendations were approved by Government in July 2024.

The Law Society was delighted to be a member of the Implementation Group established in September 2024. 

Best Practice Charter for solicitors and estate agents 

The Best Practice Charter was developed in response to evidence presented to the Expert Group, highlighting the need for clear guidance to support collaboration between solicitors and estate agents working together in conveyancing transactions, for the benefit of clients and for the efficiency of the process.

The Best Practice Charter for Conveyancing is not a regulatory document or Code of Practice and is not legally binding on solicitors or estate agents.

Whilst solicitors are regulated and must always act in accordance with the law and regulatory requirements, they are also subject to the instructions of their clients, including confidentiality norms which continue to apply. The Charter should therefore be read with this in mind. 

The Best Practice Charter is available at the link below:

• Housing for All Conveyancing and Probate Implementation Group: Best Practice Charter for Solicitors and Estate Agents 

For further information see: Conveyancing and probate – Taoiseach welcomes progress towards 8-week target for buyers.