More about e-conveyancing:
A brief history

Ideas for reworking the conveyancing process in England and Wales have been developing over several years. In 1998, the joint report by the Law Commission and Land Registry entitled Land Registration for the Twenty First Century (Law Com 254) set out joint proposals. This led to Land Registry being appointed as the lead government department to introduce e-conveyancing.

The Land Registration Act 2002 set up the laws that enable e-conveyancing services. Secondary legislation will be required to support new services.

Consultation has been extensive since our first proposals in 2002. We have given particular emphasis to conveyancers, lenders, their representative bodies, and buyers and sellers. Their feedback has been invaluable. Areas covered have included:
- e-signatures (2005)
- electronic funds transfer (2005)
- secondary legislation for Network Access Agreements (2007)
- a six-month 'Chain Matrix' prototype (2007).

Looking at the experience of large-scale changes in public and private sectors, we do not believe e-conveyancing can successfully be introduced as a 'big bang'. We aim to introduce new services in stages, twice a year from 2008.

We have already launched a number of electronic services in this way such as EDs, e-lodgement, and public access to title registers and plans online for 20 million properties.