Law Society chief executive officer Ian Jeffery said: ‘We want to hear from conveyancers who have used the forms and also those who haven’t and understand why they haven’t.
‘We want to understand users’ experience and views of the TA6 form and its part in the wider conveyancing landscape and to identify improvements to the property form.’
The consultation, launched this week, will involve engagement with conveyancing and legal groups, an online survey about the TA6 and wider policy changes in residential conveyancing, focus groups with conveyancers, ‘deep dive’ online webinars on liability, digitisation and other concerns, and user experience testing of the forms.
However, a vote of no confidence in the Law Society’s ability to represent members who undertake conveyancing is still scheduled to take place on 23 July in Chancery Lane and online.
The row between the Law Society and the Property Lawyers Action Group (PLAG) began when the Law Society revised the TA6 as a ‘pragmatic response’ to the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team’s guidance on material information (MI). MI covers data such as flood risk, cost of parking permits, proximity of electric car charging points, accessibility adaptations, sewerage discharge, information about defects or hazards and recommended essential works, and more.
PLAG says the guidance is not legally binding on estate agents and warns MI could mean flawed information is included, putting solicitors and vendors at risk of complex litigation or of committing a criminal offence.