What is the onboarding stage in a Conveyancing transaction?
The Conveyancing process involves several legal stages, yet many clients are unaware that one of the most important phases happens right at the beginning: the onboarding stage. The initial stage is the foundation to ensure that your Solicitor has the correct information and documentation for the entire transaction. Below we break down the purpose of this stage, and what you as the client can expect.
What Is Onboarding?
The onboarding stage marks the official start of your Conveyancing journey. Once instructed The New Business Team will be your first point of contact within the firm. Their role is to guide you through what is known as the “onboarding stage”. The team will be available during working hours to hold your hand through the process and answer any queries you may have. Ensuring that your file is prepared correctly before it is passed over to your allocated Solicitor.
What are the main steps of the Onboarding process?
After you have accepted your provided quote, your file will be opened onto our case Management system. You will then be directed to complete several steps, these are primarily within the “BLJ” App, designed to streamline the process, and keep everything in one place.
Verification of ID:
- You will be asked to upload photographic identification, examples of this are a Passport or Driving License.
- You will also need to upload a proof of address document. This could be a Bank Statement or Utility Bill.
Once uploaded you will be required to take a live image of yourself. This will generate a secure digital identification check.
Note that if you do not hold any of these documents, or they are past the expiry date, please contact a member of our New Business Team.
If you are unable to access the BLJ App on your telephone, this can be done with a laptop for your convenience.
Verification of funds:
To comply with Anti-Money Laundering regulations, you must verify the source of funds. This can be completed by:
- Linking the bank account where the funds are held, or
- Uploading six months of bank statements from the relevant account
This allows your Solicitor to trace the money being used for your Purchase and ensures compliance.
Memorandum of Sale:
If you are buying/selling through an Estate Agent, they will generate the Memorandum of Sale which includes:
- The buyers and Sellers names
- Both parties Solicitors details
- The agreed sale price
- The full property address and tenure
However, if your transaction is private, meaning the vendor and purchaser have been in direct contact, then you will need to provide the other parties full name and their Solicitors contact details to our New Business Team.
Initial payment on account:
An initial payment is required to cover early disbursements and searches ( on a Purchase ) within your transaction:
- Purchase - £495.00
- Sale, Remortgages and Transfer of Equity – £195.00
The above amount will be deducted from the initial quote you were provided with by the team.
Initial documentation:
You will be asked to complete a set of tailored questionnaires, including a Personal Information Form and transaction specific documents. These can be signed and dated via the “BLJ” App.
Alternatively, we offer clients who are struggling with the digital forms, paper forms. These can be completed with a member of the New Business Team in branch, or you can collect the documents from any office and return them once completed and signed. If you do require this, please inform your assigned member of the team as soon as possible.
What happens next?
Once onboarding is complete, your file will be transferred to your assigned Solicitor and their assistant, who will then become your main point of contact for the remainder of the transaction. They will begin the legal work on your matter, and guide you through the remaining stages right through to completion.
It is important to approach the early stages with an open mind. Timescales cannot be guaranteed at the outset, but completing your onboarding promptly helps ensure your matter progresses as quickly as possible.
Contact Our Conveyancing Team:
Call us on: 03444 124348
Email: conveyancing@bljsolicitors.co.uk
Generate an instant quote on our website.