The small jobs that hold everything else up
Most transactions do not stall on something dramatic. They stall on a missing certificate, an unverified passport or an unsigned declaration.
Support services are the standalone, fixed-fee tasks that sit around a property matter, identity and anti-money-laundering checks, advice on indemnity insurance for a defect in title, statutory declarations and change of name deeds. Each can be bought on its own without a full transaction, and most complete within days.
Russ
HMLR Case Specialist
These are smaller pieces of work that sit around a property matter. Each is on a fixed fee agreed in writing before work starts.
Fixed quote in one message
Describe your situation in your own words. We will tell you what it is called, what it involves and what it costs.
Standalone
Each service can be bought on its own, no transaction required.
Regulated checks
Identity and AML verification carried out to the standard lenders expect.
Fast turnaround
Most of this work completes within days, not weeks.
The smaller pieces of work
Property matters generate a long tail of tasks that are too small for a full retainer but too consequential to guess at, a statutory declaration to prove a right of way, advice on an indemnity policy to cover a missing building regulation certificate, a deed poll to change a name.
These are the jobs that hold up completions when nobody takes ownership of them. We deal with them as discrete, fixed-fee instructions.
Where each one is used
ID and AML checks
Required before any regulated firm can act, and by lenders before funds are released.
Indemnity insurance advice
We advise whether a one-off policy covering a defect in title or missing paperwork is the right answer; you or your lender buy it from an insurer or broker.
Statutory declarations
Sworn evidence of long use, lost deeds or a history of ownership, accepted where documents no longer exist.
Change of name deeds
A deed poll evidencing a new name, used to update the register and identity documents.
A note on indemnity insurance
Indemnity is often the sensible answer, but not always. A policy is void if the insured risk has already been raised with the council or the person who benefits from the covenant. That is why the sequence matters: take advice before making the enquiry, not after.
Services and typical timescales
| Service | Typical timescale |
|---|---|
| ID and AML check | Same day |
| Indemnity insurance advice (you buy the policy from an insurer or broker) | Advice only |
| Statutory declaration | 3 to 5 days |
| Change of name deed | 2 to 3 days |
Timescales are typical rather than guaranteed. Your fee is confirmed in writing by your consultant once we have the details of your matter.
How a standalone instruction runs
- 01
Tell us the problem
Usually one paragraph is enough. We confirm which service solves it, or tell you if something else does.
- 02
Fixed fee
Your fixed fee is agreed in writing before work starts, with any third party cost listed separately.
- 03
Information gathered
ID documents, the facts behind a declaration, or the details needed to advise which indemnity policy fits, requested in one go, not piecemeal.
- 04
The work carried out
Indemnity advice given (you or your lender buy any policy from an insurer or broker), declaration drafted and sworn, deed executed, or the check completed and certified.
- 05
Sent where it needs to go
Documents issued to you and, where you want, direct to the conveyancer, lender or agent waiting on them.