Section 8

Lawyers & professional support

Who you typically need on a UK land or property deal, and the official directories to find them — this section names directories only, not specific firms.

Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer

Handles the legal transfer of ownership: title checks, local authority searches, drafting/reviewing contracts, exchange and completion, and filing your SDLT/LBTT/LTT return. For commercial or investment purchases, look for a firm with a dedicated commercial property or real estate team.

Planning consultant

Especially valuable before buying land without existing planning consent. Assesses the likelihood of permission being granted, handles the application, and can advise on Investment Zone or Freeport eligibility and Local Plan allocations.

Chartered surveyor (RICS)

Valuations, structural and condition surveys, boundary disputes, and party wall matters. Essential before buying land or older buildings.

Accountant / tax adviser

Structures the purchase (personal ownership vs. company/SPV), advises on SDLT reliefs, Capital Gains Tax, VAT elections, and ongoing Corporation Tax if trading from an Investment Zone or Freeport site.

Architect

Design and drawings for planning submissions and Building Regulations compliance on any new build or major alteration.

Official directories

• Solicitors, England & Wales — solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk (Law Society “Find a Solicitor”)
• Solicitors, Scotland — findasolicitor.scot (Law Society of Scotland)
• Solicitors, Northern Ireland — lawsoc-ni.org (Law Society of Northern Ireland)
• Licensed Conveyancers, England & Wales — clc-uk.org (Council for Licensed Conveyancers)
• Chartered surveyors — rics.org/find-a-member or ricsfirms.com (RICS)
• Planning consultants — rtpi.org.uk (Royal Town Planning Institute directory)
• Architects — architecture.com (RIBA); registration verified at arb.org.uk
• Chartered tax advisers — tax.org.uk (Chartered Institute of Taxation)
• Chartered accountants — icaew.com (ICAEW “Find a Chartered Accountant”)
• Party wall surveyors — partywalls.org.uk (Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors)

Always verify a professional is currently regulated or licensed via these official registers before instructing them or sending any funds. Property transaction fraud — fake solicitor firms, redirected bank details for deposit or completion funds — is a known scam route in the UK.