Communicating with the Land Registry is one of the important roles of a residential conveyancing solicitor when properties are being bought or sold anywhere in England and Wales. There is a separate register for Scotland.

The work of this government agency is to register title to land within the two countries and record dealings with registered land. Apart from maintaining and guaranteeing the system, its aims are to enable confident dealings in property and security of title by providing ready access to up-to-date and guaranteed land information.

Because all residential sales have to go through its administration, the Land Registry has accurate knowledge of the market and its official monthly house price index monitors price changes since January 1995.

Anyone can look at the Land Registry website to find information about an area of land and, for a small fee, a copy of the ‘registered title' can be downloaded. This will include the current owner, a description, including its price if sold since April 2000, the name of any mortgage lender, any private rights of way across the property and any restrictions on its use, although this will not include planning conditions.

A title plan supplied by the Land Registry will show the exact location of a property and its boundaries.

At least one-third of properties in England and Wales have not been registered, but there are benefits to registration, such as it offers proof of ownership, helps to protect the land if someone tries to make a claim on it and simplifies conveyancing, making future changes of ownership easier.

An owner who voluntarily registers their property can receive a discount on the fee on a sliding scale, depending on its value.

Anyone considering a first registration is advised to consult an experienced conveyancing solicitor as the process is quite technical and must be followed accurately in order to protect the interest of the current and future owners of the property.

For more information about the Land Registry's services, its customer support team is at 0844 892 1111 or see the website

Healys solicitors of London and Brighton and the Land Registry

If you require advice about any matters connected with the Land Registry, whether prior to making a purchase, seeking a first registration or if you have concerns about the ownership of land in which you have an interest, Healys team of residential conveyancing solicitors in London or Brighton are ready to help.

Healys has the experience to help and, with its links to other professionals as well as skills across its general legal practice, can provide advice and representation on all aspects of property law.

For more information and advice on costs of Healys' conveyancing services, you can request a call-back via the website, email partner Kiri Kkosh, telephone 020 7822 4148 or associate solicitor Paul Miller telephone 01273 669 115.