If you're looking for a good conveyancing solicitor in Leeds or in the Leeds area who should you choose?

That's a decision that's become a lot harder in the last two or three years but, surprisingly, that's actually good news!

You see, the reason that things have suddenly got harder is that the internet has thrown open the gates of competition.

Up until just a few years ago, conveyancing solicitors were only competing against the small number of other law firms based in the same area. Now, thanks to the internet, a conveyancing transaction can be processed from literally anywhere. So now, if you do an internet search for conveyancing solicitors in Leeds, you won't just see results for Leeds based solicitors - you'll see results for solicitors from all over the country.

Why is this good? It's good because it has dramatically reduced the cost of conveyancing. Five years ago a simple conveyancing transaction might have cost you 1500 pounds; today a quote for the same job could easily come in at less than 500 pounds.

If you choose a solicitor that's not based in the Leeds area then you're not going to be popping into their office to get your sale or purchase sorted out - you'll be doing everything over the phone or by email.

This can be very convenient. On the other hand, however, can be handy if you're trying to get things done in a hurry as you can visit them in person to make sure things are on track. Don't forget, at the end of the day solicitors are just people who will prioritise whichever client is shouting the loudest!

We would advise that you use the internet to shop around for a range of quotes. Quotes are usually instant, free and no-obligation so they're great for doing your homework and deciding how much you should be paying.

Online quotes will usually be lower than what you would be quoted on the high street. So once you have a few you can use them to negotiate down the quote from your local solicitor. (Bear in mind that your local solicitor will be hurting from the credit crunch (far fewer transactions taking place) and anxious to get your business).

If you find that the quote you get from your local solicitor and the quotes you get online solicitors are about the same then we'd suggest that using your local solicitor would be preferable, because it's easier to keep them accountable. Having said that, don't be afraid to use an online service if you can save a significant amount of money, because it really is possible to do conveyancing successfully from anywhere.

Finally, whether you decide on a Leeds based solicitor or an online solicitor, insist on getting a fixed fee quote and make sure that expenses are included as these add up to quite a lot. Since expenses are mostly known in advance so there's no reason why your solicitor shouldn't be able to provide them (note: they may refer to them as "disbursements" - they mean the same thing).