If you're new to the housing market and are buying or selling a property for the first time, you may be getting ready to work with a conveyancer. It's very important to work with an expert like this so that you can avoid any pitfalls and ensure that the process goes smoothly from start to finish. When you first engage with a conveyancer, you may be asked to sign a client authorisation form and verify your identity. These forms may have several sections and appear to be quite complex, but what can you expect when you start the ball rolling?
Electronic Conveyancing
These days conveyancing is done electronically in many jurisdictions and, in some places, could be the only way to settle on a property. Your conveyancer is required to get client authorisation from you and to verify your identity formally so that all the parties to the transaction are happy.
Giving Authority
When you sign a client authorisation form, you will be asked to give your full name and address and, if a corporate entity, relevant registration numbers as well. You will then confirm how much authority you are giving to the conveyancer going forward. In other words, are you engaging with them for a certain period that comes with an expiry date, or will you give them authority to work on your behalf for multiple transactions?
You'll also be asked to confirm the details of a single transaction or the first in a batch of multiple transactions. This will include the property's address and the title description. There are various additional options associated with each transaction to identify its forms, such as title transfer, mortgage, caveat and others. You'll then be asked to sign the form, which certifies that you are a client and have legal authority. In so doing, you give the conveyancer authority to sign documents, interact with the registry and conduct financial settlements.
Verifying Identity
When verifying identity, you will need to bring forward items of identification (usually a passport and state ID such as a driver's license). Try to ensure uniformity when it comes to the photos on each of these items. If one is rather old and your appearance has changed significantly, additional steps may be involved.
Getting More Information
Talk with your conveyancing service to get more information about the contractual and identification processes, so you know what to expect when you get everything underway.
Share20 October 2022
My dad died when I was still pretty young so it's been a big surprise all the stuff I've had to do to sort out his estate. I'm an only child and my folks divorced when I was a baby so most of the work fell to me. He was kind of disorganised and grumpy, but at least he'd spoken to his lawyer and got a proper will drawn up which saved on confusion at a tricky time. If you are a young person dealing with the estate of a deceased parent, this blog is designed to help you navigate the legal processes.