How to Choose a Conveyancer or Property Solicitor
A practical, jurisdiction-aware checklist for verifying a conveyancer or property solicitor and comparing scope, contract reviews, fees and security.
Choose the person who will advise on the actual contract, not just the firm with the cheapest settlement quote. The professional title and licensing framework differ by jurisdiction: Queensland's government guidance points buyers to a solicitor, Western Australia commonly uses a settlement agent, and several other jurisdictions license or register conveyancers.
Start with the jurisdiction
A practitioner's authority, permitted scope and regulator are not uniform across Australia. The following official starting points illustrate the difference:
- NSW: use the Service NSW conveyancer licence check.
- Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria explains the different scopes of legal practitioners and licensed conveyancers and links to both registers.
- Queensland: the Queensland Government strongly recommends independent legal advice and tells buyers to choose a solicitor specialising in property or conveyancing.
- Western Australia: WA Consumer Protection explains the role, licensing, costs disclosure and conflict rules for settlement agents.
- South Australia: SA.GOV.AU describes conveyancers and solicitors as the professionals who transfer property ownership and links to the public licence register.
- Tasmania and the NT: use the Tasmanian licence search or the NT conveyancing guidance, which tells buyers to check a conveyancing agent's NT licence and professional indemnity insurance.
For an ACT transaction, ask an ACT property lawyer to confirm who can perform the required work and verify their current practising status with the local regulator. Do not assume an interstate registration automatically authorises the work.
Verify the person and the firm
Checks to complete before engagement
- Search the current government or legal-services register using the individual's name or licence number.
- Confirm the registered business name, address and contact details match the written engagement letter.
- Ask who will personally review the contract and who will supervise any junior staff.
- Confirm professional indemnity cover where the jurisdiction requires it.
- Ask about any connection with the seller, developer, selling agent, broker or other party.
- Check the complaints process and which regulator handles the practitioner.
Compare scope, not headline price
There is no reliable national “typical conveyancing fee”. Price changes with the jurisdiction, transaction, title, contract complexity, searches and whether the matter completes. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends getting several written quotes and discussing all disbursements. WA requires a settlement agent to give a written costs disclosure before appointment and distinguishes service fees from statutory and third-party costs.
Ask each firm to separate these items in writing:
- professional fees for contract advice and the conveyance;
- government, registry, council, strata and search costs;
- electronic settlement, identity verification and bank charges;
- GST and any office disbursements;
- extra-work triggers, hourly rates and any cap;
- fees if the purchase does not proceed or you change firms.
Ask how contract reviews work
A settlement quote does not necessarily include advice on every property you consider. Before paying, ask how many pre-signing contract reviews are included, what each review covers, the turnaround time, and the price of further reviews if an offer fails.
Ask whether the review includes the full disclosure pack, title and plan, strata or community records, special conditions, proposed amendments and a written critical-dates summary. A one-page risk list and a complete legal review are not the same service.
Test the service before a deadline
Send a routine question before you need an auction-day answer. Confirm the contact channel for urgent contracts, who covers absences and whether same-day work must be booked. Do not assume a response-time promise that is not in the engagement terms.
Questions to ask before appointing
- Are you currently authorised to act on a purchase in this jurisdiction?
- Who will review my contract, and can I speak directly with that person?
- What is included, excluded and charged separately?
- How many contract reviews are included if I miss out on properties?
- Will you review the title, plan, seller disclosure and scheme records before I sign?
- How will you present risks, recommended amendments and critical dates?
- What happens if the matter becomes disputed or goes beyond your permitted scope?
- Do you or the firm have any referral, ownership or financial relationship with another party?
If the transaction involves a dispute, complex trust or estate issues, unusual tax questions, commercial use, foreign investment, or advice outside a conveyancer's permitted scope, ask whether a property solicitor or another qualified specialist should be engaged. The answer depends on the facts and jurisdiction.
Protect settlement payments
The Australian Cyber Security Centre warns that criminals impersonate agents and conveyancers and substitute bank details in property emails. Its property-payment alert says to confirm changed payment details using an established phone number or face to face before transferring funds. Apply that check to every payment instruction, not only obvious changes.
Verify authority first, then compare the named adviser, review scope, conflicts, communication and total estimated cost. A cheap quote that excludes the advice you need is not a like-for-like comparison.
Realestate Lens is pre-launch. Its illustrative sample report is not legal advice and does not replace review by the professional you appoint.
General information only. Reviewed 24 August 2026. Verify current licensing, scope and insurance with the relevant regulator and obtain advice for the actual contract.