Conveyancing Comprehensive Update 2026 - Live with Stephen Desmond

Introduction

Concentrating primarily on changes over the last 12 months, this virtual classroom seminar is ideal for the busy conveyancer; it is very practical and relevant to your day-to-day practice.

Some of the changes are small and could easily 'sneak up on you'. Others can be more significant for the way you carry out your professional responsibilities.

As a busy conveyancer you need to keep up to date with changes in practice as well as changes in the law.

The course content is liable to change if there are any important new developments in this area of the law.

What You Will Learn

This course will cover the following:

• SDLT update, including mixed-use properties, empty properties, the latest on tax adviser registration
• Update on AML procedures and property fraud, red flags, purchase price payable in instalments
• Selective updates to Land Registry practice guides
• Commonhold: Potential implications of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill 2026
• Leasehold: key leasehold reforms (e.g. service charges, lease extensions), proposed ground rent cap and abolition of forfeiture for long residential leases
• Building safety: key updates on fire safety laws, safety case reports, EWS1s, remediation of unsafe buildings
• New builds: the latest developments on the new Ombudsman, issues arising from customer complaints, pitfalls of buyer funded developments
• Septic tanks and heat pumps update
• Planning update, including emerging risks with HMOs and selective licensing areas, enforcement action, section 106 carve-outs
• New builds: problems on new housing estates
• Developments with the latest edition of the TA6 and implications for conveyancing practice
• Latest LeO updates on complaints handling
• The latest on professional undertakings
• Recent cases on practical aspects of conveyancing including:
• Easements: interruption to prescriptive right of way, parking rights
• Restrictive covenants: vendor’s consent, height restriction, garden use only
• Leasehold: examples of poorly drafted leases, mixed use, sweeper clauses, extent of estate
• Beneficial interests: client signed documents without independent legal advice, ostensibly outright deed of gift, statutory declaration, trust deed to avoid creditor claims, release by a joint tenant
• Mortgagor did not benefit from the loan
• The general boundaries rule revisited, boundary agreement
• The latest on adverse possession claims, including nature of activities on the land, evidence of seller’s son
• Planning enforcement notice for block of flats

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.