• Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations: Don’t just get a name and a business card. Ask about specifics. Did the lawyer update them regularly on new developments? Could he or she keep the process running smoothly? Did she or he inform them about all the steps they needed to take to complete the transaction? Were the fees reasonable?
• Ask your mortgage broker, lender or financial adviser: With years of experience in conducting real estate and investment transactions, these professionals deal with conveyancing lawyers on a day to day basis and can advise you about which one might best meet your needs.
• Look over potential candidates’ credentials: After you’ve gotten recommendations, research the candidates’ qualifications carefully. Choose a short list from the best of the bunch.
• Interview each of the final candidates: Since you’ll need to work together on the transaction, make sure that the lawyer has a work style that suits your own.

We’ve read through your comments, and have come up with a short list of three conveyancing law firms that come up to the high standards you demand.

Chamberlains Law Firm

One of the concerns many customers brought up was having a lawyer that knew all the ins and outs of the complex conveyancing code. One customer put it this way, “A lot can go wrong.” To find legal help that is both “thorough” regarding real estate statutes and has “rates that [are] reasonable” is a challenge for many people in Canberra and surrounds. Here’s a law firm who understands that challenge:

Chamberlains Law Firm has years of extensive experience in ACT law that helps them straighten out all the twists and turns has years of extensive experience in ACT law that helps them straighten out all the twists and turns that come with a property conveyancing transaction, whether it’s a commercial or residential property. Their award-winning service and keeping customers in the loop on every transaction makes buying a property a hassle-free one—a process that saves their clients’ money over the course of the transaction. To arrange a consultation, call them on (02) 6215 9100, or email them at chamberlains@chamberlains.com.au.

Baker, Deane, and Nutt

For more than 160 years, Baker, Deane, and Nutt has specialised in conveyancing law. To give their clients peace of mind by minimising risk in real estate transactions is not only their job—it’s their mission. Special areas of interest for this firm include: home purchases and sales in both the ACT and NSW, subdivisions, property developments, advice on mortgage and loan documents, and property transfers.

Customers praise them for conducting a “very smooth transaction.” Other lesser qualified lawyers—not on our list, thankfully— according to one of the comments, were “clueless.” About Baker, Deane, and Nutt, one customer concluded, “Short story: use them; they’re good.” Located conveniently in both Canberra and Queanbeyan, you can call them on (02) 6230 1999 for their Canberra office, or on (02) 6299 3999 for their Queanbeyan one. Email them at canb@bdn.com.au (Canberra) or at qbyn@bdn.com.au (Queanbeyan).

Bradley Allen Love Lawyers

One of the common threads among our readers’ comments was the lawyers’ focus on communication. Lawyers who keep their customers in the know earned their praises. One customer mentioned that what’s important was a lawyer who “didn’t mind answering hundreds of questions” and who responded to calls promptly.

With their wide-ranging experience in both commercial and residential conveyancing, the team of experts at Bradley Allen Love earn their clients’ praise for their “prompt, effective solutions to…complexities.” You can count on a Bradley Allen Love conveyance lawyer for answers to all your questions, as well as for prompt service. For more information about BAL’s team of experienced conveyance lawyers, call them on (02) 6274 0999 or reach them on email at reception@ballawyers.com.au.

What Legal Team Will You Choose for Your Real Estate Deals?

To help you search for the best real estate legal team in Canberra, we’ve updated this article, thanks to the helpful feedback from you, our readers. Tell us about your experience with your real estate lawyer. Comment below and tell us who you would recommend the next time you buy or sell a property.