Conveyancing Quality Scheme

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Conveyancing Quality Scheme Toolkit

A toolkit containing template policies and documents is available on the bookshop.

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The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) will provide a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. Achievement of membership will establish a level of credibility for member firms with stakeholders (regulators, lenders, insurers and consumers) based upon:

  • the integrity of the Senior Responsible Officer and other key conveyancing staff.
  • the firm's adherence to good practice management standards.
  • adherence to prudent and efficient conveyancing procedures through the scheme protocol.

This scheme will create a trusted community which will deter fraud - year on year we will drive up standards.

Find CQS accredited firms

Important note for new applicants
As has previously been notified there is now a revised application form for membership to CQS. The new form includes various changes, some of which are necessitated by the introduction of the SRA Handbook 2011. The CQS office will accept v.18 (dated July 2011 in its footer)  of the form until 1 December 2011.

If you are in the process of completing the initial application form v.18, please ensure it is received by the CQS office by 1 December 2011.

We are changing the way CQS fees are collected. To simplify the collection process and to ensure that we can continue to grant membership immediately upon confirmation of a successful application, we will be requiring the relevant membership fee to be paid along with the application fee on all applications received after 1 December 2011. Should an application be unsuccessful the membership fee paid will be automatically refunded.

Interested in becoming a member?

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme, please first read the:

The London Olympic and Paralympic Games
27 July to 9 September 2012

Please note that we are anticipating a restricted staff resource during the Games which may prolong the processing of applications. In order to keep delays to a minimum we would advise that you submit your application as soon as possible prior to commencement of the Games.

Documents

Initial application

Reaccreditation application

Client service charter and scheme protocol

Assessment panel

Appeals process

Common questions

  1. How do I become a member of the scheme?
  2. How is my application assessed?
  3. How much does membership cost?
  4. How long is my membership valid for?
  5. What training will I have to undertake?
  6. How do I renew my membership?
  7. Are there any additional resources?
  8. What does an accredited firm have to do if an employee is leaving or joining the firm?

See frequently asked questions (PDF, 42kb)
See frequently asked questions about online training (PDF, 96kb)

How do I become a member of the scheme?

Complete the application form above and send with supporting documentation to the CQS unit at the Law Society.

Please make sure that the forms are filled in as accurately as possible so that we can process your forms as efficiently as possible. Specifically, where the application is asking for dates, please ensure that you provide the full date i.e. day, month and year. Please do not leave mandatory fields in the application form blank. If you do not provide the information in full, it will delay the application as we will then need to write to you asking for clarification on those outstanding matters.

If you are unsure or have any queries about the information required then please contact the CQS helpline (020 7316 5550) prior to submitting your form and our team will do their best to assist with any enquiries.

Please also note that you must sign and return the practice agreement (Word, 64kb) before your firm will be accredited under the scheme.

How is my application assessed and how long will this take?

It is anticipated that applications could take up to four to six weeks to initially process due to the complex nature of the application process and the requirement to carry out checks involving third party organisations. If at any time during the process we ask for additional information from you, any time taken to provide the CQS office with this information will add to the processing time.

Specifically, please be aware that if we write to you asking for missing information and you do not reply to the CQS office within 14 days of our letter, your application may be suspended on our system, and we may do no further work on your application until we have received a response addressing the missing information outlined in our letter. The four to six week period to process the application will then begin to run again from when the missing information is received.

Once the application has been manually processed it will then be passed to a coordinator. At this stage the applicant will receive a letter informing them that they will receive a response within 30 days. If it is then necessary for the application to go to the assessment panel, the firm will receive a further letter notifying them that the assessment panel will convene within the next 30 days and that the firm should receive a response within that time.

If during the process the CQS office does not receive a reply to correspondence within three months from the date of its request for further information, the CQS office reserves the right to cancel the Practice's application. Any new application by the Practice would require a fresh application form and application fee to be submitted.

How much does membership cost?

All costs associated with this scheme are outlined within the fee schedule (PDF, 118kb).

How long is my membership valid for?

Membership to the Conveyancing Quality Scheme is for one year from the date of registration as a member. Every year you must renew your scheme membership.

What training will I have to undertake?

In association with: TM Group

The Law Society's courses are being designed to meet the requirements of the accreditation process and are currently the only ones authorised to do so.

You will be notified of the dates of training courses when we confirm your acceptance onto the scheme.

How do I renew my membership?

The process for renewing your membership is called reaccreditation. Reaccreditation is a way of assuring consumers and key stakeholders that members of the CQS always meet the requirements for membership.

An information sheet in relation to reaccreditation can be found on this webpage along with the application form and guidance. For the cost of reaccrediting to the scheme, please see the fee schedule (PDF, 118kb).

Are there any additional resources?

The Conveyancing Quality Scheme Toolkit is available and helps firms meet the Core Practice Management Standards.

What does an accredited firm have to do if an employee is leaving or joining the firm?

In respect of an individual joining an accredited firm, the firm will need to complete the relevant personnel section of the initial application form (parts 70, 71, 72, 73 or 74 and parts 40, 41 and 42) and complete the required checks in respect of the new employee dependant on their role (please consult the guidance notes for further information as to what checks are required). The accredited firm will then need to send in this information to the CQS office within 14 days of the person starting employment at the practice, inline with the practice agreement.

The accredited firm will also need to confirm the date the employment began. Confirmation as to the continuation of membership will be given to the firm within 30 days of receipt of all the required information about the individual including appropriate checks.

In respect of an employee who has left the firm, the firm need to confirm to the CQS office the name of the individual concerned, the position they held and the date they left the firm. The accredited firm should confirm this in writing (by email or post) within 14 days of the individual having left the firm's employment.

Please note that if the senior responsible officer and/or the head of Conveyancing leaves the firm, a corresponding application for their replacement (using the process above) should be made.

Again, confirmation as to the continuation of membership will be given to the firm within 30 days of receipt of the information given.

Continuing Professional Development

All solicitors undertake appropriate training and development activities every year, as stipulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority's continuing professional development requirements.

Contact us

If you have any queries not answered here or in our guidance notes, contact the Conveyancing Quality Scheme Unit.

Customer satisfaction survey

At the Law Society we are continually looking at ways to enhance our service and would be grateful if you would take a few moments to complete our CQS customer satisfaction survey. Please only complete this survey if you are a solicitors' practice that has used the services of the CQS office.
Take the survey