Using AI to Find a Conveyancer? Check This First

Asking an AI chatbot to recommend a conveyancing solicitor may feel like a quick shortcut. A report published this week shows it can send you to the wrong firm. The access to justice charity Blind Justice UK tested ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude in September 2026. When asked 30 times for the best conveyancing solicitors in Doncaster, all three named, as their top pick, a firm the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) had previously fined. None of them mentioned the fine. In Maidenhead, one chatbot kept recommending a firm that the SRA had shut down nearly seven months earlier.

Buying a home is probably the biggest transaction you'll ever make, and your conveyancer handles your deposit and mortgage money. So it's worth understanding why this happens and how to check a firm properly.

Why AI Chatbots Get Solicitor Recommendations Wrong

AI assistants build their answers from what's available online. Positive reviews and marketing pages can stay up for years. Regulatory decisions, the report found, can drop off the SRA's website after three years. That leaves the chatbot with plenty of praise and nothing to show the firm had problems.

There's a second gap too. A chatbot may not know when a firm has closed, merged or been intervened in by the regulator. The researchers have asked the SRA to publish sanctions in a machine-readable format and want review sites to show enforcement decisions next to regulatory badges. Until that happens, it's up to you to check.

How to Check a Conveyancing Solicitor in Five Minutes

Before you instruct a conveyancing solicitor, whoever recommended them, carry out these checks:

• Search the SRA's Solicitors Register. It's free and online. Check that the firm is authorised and that the individual handling your matter is a practising solicitor. Look at the firm's details for any recent regulatory decisions.
• Look for the SRA digital badge. Regulated firms must display it on their website. Click it to check it's genuine. It should link to the SRA's own site.
• Check for accreditation. Many residential conveyancing firms belong to the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), which requires training and standards of practice. Lenders often require it before a firm can act on their mortgage panel.
• Compare the published prices. Under the SRA Transparency Rules, firms offering residential conveyancing must publish their price information. If a quote is far below everyone else's, find out what's been left out.
• Read the client care letter. It should say who is handling your file, who supervises them, what the costs are and how to complain.

What Protections You Have With a Regulated Solicitor

Using a regulated solicitor gives you real protection. SRA-regulated firms must hold professional indemnity insurance. They must keep client money in a separate client account under the SRA Accounts Rules, and they're covered by the SRA Compensation Fund if money goes missing. If the service is poor, you can complain to the firm and then escalate to the Legal Ombudsman.

This matters a lot in conveyancing because property fraud often targets the transfer of funds. Criminals pose as law firms, or intercept emails, to divert deposits. A properly regulated firm will have strict procedures for confirming bank details. You should always confirm account details by phone, using a number you've checked yourself, before sending money.

Using AI Sensibly When You Buy or Sell a Home

AI tools can still help. They're good for explaining jargon such as "exchange of contracts" or "local authority searches", or for drafting questions to ask your solicitor. But treat a chatbot's recommendation of a solicitor as a starting point, not a verdict. It can't promise that a firm is regulated, solvent or still trading, and this study shows it may not even know.

What Should You Do Next?

The easiest way to avoid the risks is to start with a firm you know is regulated and accountable. Every firm in the QualitySolicitors network is regulated by the SRA. Our first contact team will listen to what you need and match you with an experienced conveyancing solicitor near you. Call or get in touch online. We'll help you take the first step with confidence.