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Our mission
We deliver effective regulation of specialist conveyancing and probate lawyers that protects consumers and fosters competition and innovation in the provision of legal services.
A history of innovation
The CLC and the profession of Licensed Conveyancer were established by parliament in 1985 to foster competition in the provision of conveyancing services. We were able to license businesses that had outside investment, long before the 2007 Legal Services Act introduced Alternative Business Structures across the rest of the sector. So our expertise in regulating commercially-minded legal service providers has deep roots.
We take a proactive approach built on close engagement with the firms we regulate to help practices to address difficulties before they become serious or pose a threat to consumers. The Legal Services Board has noted that we take a ‘consistent and risk-based approach’, are able to take ‘targeted action depending on the risk posed’ and ‘allow practitioners to be innovative in the way they deliver their products’.
Three-quarters of CLC Lawyers say that regulation by the CLC provides value for money and supports innovation and growth in their businesses and that being regulated by the CLC is either ‘extremely’ or ‘mostly’ beneficial to their businesses.
Strategy for 2023-2025
The Council and staff of the CLC reviewed the organisation’s strategic objectives over six months in 2022. We agreed the existing objectives simply needed refreshing rather than a full-scale review.
The CLC’s Strategic Objectives for the three years beginning January 2023 set out below reflect comments made in our open consultation over the summer of 2022.
Strategic objectives | Priority actions that will be reflected in business plans | |
1 | Grow the CLC’s regulated community and broaden the CLC’s sources of funding This benefits clients by reducing the unit cost of regulation by the CLC and bring the CLC’s specialist regulation of conveyancing and probate to bear on a larger part of the market | Explore how to offer regulation to any suitably qualified lawyers specializing in conveyancing and probate (FCILEx, solicitors) to secure better outcomes for consumers Promote education to CLC qualifications to grow the pipeline of new licensed conveyancers Explore providing more support to students and ensure accessibility of routes to CLC qualification Try to identify changes to PII that could ease the burden on CLC-regulated firms while maintaining consumer protection. Report on progress quarterly to the Council, identifying barriers to growth and addressing them as far as practicable Continue to husband CLC resources and infrastructure carefully Introduce advertising/sponsorship to conferences, webinars and newsletters |
2a | Promote quality in legal services The CLC should promote all aspects of improvement in the practice of conveyancing and probate, whether legislative, process change or IT-driven to improve client outcomes. |
Continue to work with other regulators, HM Land Registry, Home Buying and Selling Group, DCMS and ID providers, software developers to drive improvement and urgent reform in the consumer and public interest Promote proportionality in the management of risk in the delivery of legal services and adoption of new processes and tools that can assist Support inclusion and diversity in the regulated community and the provision of inclusive legal services Continue the Conveyancing 2030 programme and horizon-scanning to inform the CLC and Regulated Community Ensure that rolling review of Handbook (below) future-proofs CLC regulation Explore ways to help the regulated community have greater confidence about change and make faster progress Implement findings of the Quality Indicators pilot Enhance insight into consumer needs and concerns |
2b | Promote quality in legal services Revised Ethical Standards should underpin work to drive quality and compliance and assist in the disciplinary process. |
Establish and promulgate new Ethical Principles to underpin good client outcomes Review Know Your Client requirements and standards and apply to advice, AML, Sanctions and Conflicts of Interest compliance with thematic reviews Launch new approach to CPD Review Code of Conduct in line with Ethical Principles and learnings since last review Establish realistic timetable for rolling review of the Handbook Promote better understanding of assisted compliance and what happens when it is not achieved Explore how to ensure relevant, targeted and high-quality training and CPD provision is accessible Exploit our insight and risk-based approach to target monitoring and compliance Promote CLC qualifications to employers |
3 | Exploit the CLC’s unique approach, insight and relationship with the regulated community to further improve consumer protection | Drive out the benefits of assisted compliance in preventing consumer detriment Post-pandemic, rebuild opportunities for face to face engagement Target compliance work on areas of most significant risk Thematic reviews of most significant risks followed up by compliance action Fewer routine inspections each year and more risk-based activity |
Reporting progress
As always, the governing Council of the CLC will monitor closely progress against this strategy and the annual business plans that will set out to deliver it. The CLC will publish annual assessments through its Annual Report and Annual Financial Statements as well as in ad hoc commentary throughout the strategy period.