Conveyancer vs Solicitor in NSW: Which Should You Use?
For the conveyancing itself, a licensed conveyancer and a solicitor do the same job. Here’s what actually differs, and when it’s worth thinking about it more carefully.
One of the most common questions we’re asked is what the difference actually is between a solicitor and a conveyancer, and which one you should use for buying or selling. Here’s the honest answer.
At a glance
- For a standard conveyancing transaction, a licensed conveyancer and a solicitor perform the same role.
- Solicitors are also qualified in other areas of law, which can matter if your transaction gets complicated.
- Cost isn’t a reliable way to choose, get quotes from both and compare.
What’s the actual difference?
A licensed conveyancer is qualified and regulated specifically to handle property transactions, buying, selling, and transferring. A solicitor has a broader legal qualification and can practise across many areas of law, but when they’re handling your conveyancing, they’re doing the same core work: reviewing the contract, conducting searches, managing the exchange, and coordinating settlement.
Both are held to professional standards and both can represent you competently in a straightforward NSW property transaction.
When might a solicitor make more sense?
If your transaction is likely to get complicated, a dispute over the contract, a deceased estate, a family law property settlement, or anything that could end up in court, a solicitor’s broader legal training and ability to run litigation can be genuinely useful. If you engage a solicitor for a straightforward purchase or sale, it’s worth asking what else they practise in and how available they’ll actually be, some solicitors split their time across court appearances and other matters.
“A solicitor will always cost more than a conveyancer.”
Not always. Fees vary by firm, not by whether the person handling your matter is a solicitor or a conveyancer. Getting a quote from both is the only reliable way to compare, and a firm with in-house solicitors and conveyancers can sometimes offer solicitor-level oversight without the higher fee some solicitor-only firms charge.
Where RM fits in
RM Property Conveyancing is an incorporated legal practice, we have a solicitor director and a licensed conveyancer director. We only practise in conveyancing, buying, selling and transferring property, so you get solicitor-backed oversight without a firm that’s juggling court dates in other areas of law.
There’s no universally right answer, it’s about who’s actually available for your transaction and what it costs.
So which should you use?
For a typical residential purchase or sale in NSW, either a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor can do the job well. Choose based on responsiveness, local knowledge, and a clear quote, rather than the title on their door. If there’s any chance your matter could get legally complicated, factor a solicitor’s broader qualification into that decision.
Serving Newcastle, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Central Coast and across NSW.
Want a straight comparison?
Get an instant quote from our team, solicitor-backed, conveyancer-focused, and see how it compares.
