New data shows many law firms producing high avoidable errors, while major conveyancers keep rates low
Newly released HM Land Registry (HMLR) data has placed fresh scrutiny on the quality of work carried out by law firms, after revealing that most organisations with avoidable requisition (AR) rates of 20% or more come from the legal sector. The figures, covering a six-month period, highlight the extent to which basic administrative mistakes continue to slow the processing of register change applications.
HMLR published the data as part of its ongoing programme to reduce errors that, in its view, diligent applicants should be able to prevent through standard checks and enquiries. The registry categorises ARs as issues that require further clarification or correction before an application can proceed. According to HMLR, many of these arise from preventable oversights.
Typical examples include unexplained changes in names, the submission of illegible or incomplete deeds, and errors in executing or witnessing documents. The registry also cites incorrect fee payments, missing or partial information about how joint owners hold a property, and failures to provide identity verification evidence. Other recurring issues cover missing plan references, absent proof of an attorney’s authority to act, incomplete forms, lack of an address for service, and incomplete evidence of title devolution after a death.
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The newly released dataset lists every customer that made at least 10 applications in the previous six months and identifies the number of those that resulted in ARs. HMLR confirmed last month that the overall average AR rate stood at 4.6%.
Of the 28 customers whose AR rate reached 20% or above, 22 were law firms. Most of these practices submitted fewer than 30 applications during the period, yet still recorded comparatively high proportions of avoidable errors. The Oxfordshire firm Dale & Dale produced the most striking figure, with five of its 11 applications generating ARs—an error rate of 45%.
Two other customers also exceeded the 30% threshold: Southern Housing, which received six ARs from 18 applications, and Essex-based HSH Solicitors, which logged five ARs from 16 submissions.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, 860 customers generated no ARs whatsoever. Among them, Warrington-based Restons Solicitors stood out for volume. Acting primarily for lenders and debt purchasers, the firm lodged 729 applications without triggering a single AR.
The data also offered insight into performance among the sector’s largest players. Of the five conveyancers handling the greatest number of applications, only Taylor Rose performed noticeably worse than the average AR rate. ONP submitted 44,620 applications and recorded a 2% AR rate; Enact logged 40,523 at 2.7%; Taylor Rose submitted 22,642 with a 6.5% rate; Optima Legal lodged 20,517 at 1.9%; and Knights filed 18,077 with a 4.9% rate.
No other customer filed more than 10,000 applications. Among those with an AR rate of at least 10%, the busiest was Newport-based Hennah Haywood Law, which recorded 1,509 applications and a 10.2% AR rate.
Stakeholders regard the AR data as a useful indicator of service quality. Regulators and comparison platforms are now expected to examine how they might incorporate these figures to provide clearer transparency on performance standards across the sector.