Originally published 13 January 2013. Updated October 2026.
Conveyancing client feedback can be uncomfortable to hear. A client may criticise communication, question a charge or explain that they did not understand advice the firm believed was clear.
Should conveyancing firms invite that criticism? I believe the answer is yes.
If something is going wrong, hearing about it while the transaction is progressing gives the firm an opportunity to investigate and respond. Silence offers little reassurance if the client simply decides never to return.
Why firms hesitate to ask for feedback
The hesitation is understandable. Conveyancing teams are busy, transactions are stressful and some delays are outside the firm’s control.
A partner may worry that inviting criticism will create more work or encourage dissatisfaction. A fee earner may feel that a complaint overlooks the effort already invested in a difficult matter.
But avoiding the conversation does not resolve the underlying concern. It leaves the firm with less information about the client’s experience.
A client who repeatedly chases for updates may already be dissatisfied. Asking about the experience provides an opportunity to understand why.
Completion does not answer every service question
From the firm’s perspective, a completed transaction may represent a successful outcome. The client may remember weeks of uncertainty, unanswered questions or costs they did not expect.
Legal competence and client experience both matter. A problem may concern the work undertaken, the explanation given or a gap between what the client expected and what the firm agreed to provide.
Our article on conveyancing client retention and why former clients choose another firm explores why the absence of a formal complaint does not establish satisfaction.
Ask while the answer can still influence the service
A survey after completion can reveal useful information. However, it cannot help the team address a concern before exchange or explain an outstanding issue while the client is deciding whether to proceed.
Consider inviting feedback at meaningful points:
- After the initial explanation of the process, costs and responsibilities.
- When a significant delay or complication arises.
- After sending the Report on Title.
- At completion, including an explanation of remaining work.
The invitation should be brief and easy to answer. It should also identify someone who will read the response and take responsibility for the next step.
A simple invitation to speak up
“Is there anything about the transaction, our advice or the service you are receiving that remains unclear or is causing concern? Please tell us so that we can look into it and explain the next steps.”
Adapt this wording to your process and provide the appropriate contact details. It should supplement your complaints information.
Specific questions produce more useful feedback
“Were you satisfied?” may produce a polite answer without identifying what needs improvement.
More focused questions include:
- Did you know who was handling your matter and who to contact?
- Did you receive updates without having to chase?
- Were delays and the next steps explained clearly?
- Did you understand the costs and any changes?
- Were you comfortable asking questions about the property?
- What would have made the experience better?
Where the client identifies a concern, ask enough to understand it before deciding how to respond.
Check understanding of the Report on Title
Feedback can reveal whether a client has understood a property issue or simply acknowledged receipt of a document.
A buyer may sign a report while still being uncertain about a lease restriction, boundary discrepancy or missing approval. That uncertainty matters before they commit to the purchase.
Our article on whether a signed Report on Title demonstrates client understanding explains why acknowledgement and understanding are different questions.
Invite the client to identify what remains unclear. Where an issue is material, explain its practical consequences and record the advice and decision.
AI is making complaints easier to articulate
A client who struggles to explain their dissatisfaction can now use AI to organise their concerns and draft a formal complaint. The resulting letter may help identify the problem, but its allegations and references still need checking against the facts.
That makes an accessible conversation with the firm especially valuable. Our article on AI-assisted conveyancing complaints and how firms should respond considers how to investigate the substance without dismissing a concern because AI helped draft it.
Recognise when feedback is a complaint
Make it easier for clients to raise concerns
Review whether your terms and conditions clearly explain access to your complaints procedure. Lexsure provides supplemental wording for firms to consider and adapt.
An informal channel should not become a way of keeping complaints outside the firm’s procedure. Consider the substance of the concern, rather than relying on whether the client used the word “complaint”.
For SRA-regulated solicitors, the Code of Conduct requires complaints to be handled promptly, fairly and free of charge. It also requires appropriate information about the complaints process and escalation rights.
Record the concern, identify who will investigate it and explain what happens next. If an immediate transaction issue also needs attention, allocate responsibility for that work.
Explain escalation rights accurately
The Legal Ombudsman’s complaints guide explains that clients should complain to their legal service provider first. They can approach the Ombudsman if dissatisfied with the final response or if the firm has not responded within eight weeks, subject to the scheme’s eligibility requirements.
Separate referral time limits also apply. Our guide to Legal Ombudsman time limits for conveyancing complaints explains the dates that need checking.
Make the information clear and accessible. An invitation to discuss concerns should not obscure the client’s right to use the formal procedure.
Turn recurring feedback into changes
Collecting responses is only useful if somebody examines them and acts on what they reveal.
If several clients report the same difficulty, investigate the process behind it. Repeated chasing may point to unclear update arrangements. Questions about fees may reveal that changes are being explained too late. Confusion about reports may indicate that the wording needs attention.
Record the change, assign responsibility and check whether the client experience improves.
If you want conveyancing clients to speak up, be clear about it—and mean it. Listening creates an opportunity to improve the service, but the response is what gives that invitation credibility.
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