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Conveyancing and Property Law
At Tormeys, we have a dedicated conveyancing team to provide personalised care and attention to every client, whether they are buying, selling or re-financing property. Our aim is to ensure that our clients’ transactions are stress free. We strive to provide a service that is completed to the highest possible standard. We have a wealth of experience in property transactions and our expertise and foresight allow us to address the most common pitfalls, technical issues and delays in a timely manner.
Our property transaction services include residential purchases, residential sales, title rectifications, re-mortgages, family transfers of property/voluntary transfers, site purchases, planning and development.
What is conveyancing?
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of property from one person to another. It covers the investigation of title, the drafting and review of contracts, the raising of enquiries, the payment of stamp duty and the registration of the new owner with Tailte Éireann, the State agency responsible for property registration. Conveyancing applies to house purchases, house sales, family transfers, re-mortgages, site purchases and commercial premises. Tormeys Solicitors has a dedicated Conveyancing and Probate team based on Castle Street in Athlone, a few doors from Athlone Castle, acting for clients throughout Co. Westmeath and the surrounding counties.
Why property buyers and sellers in Athlone use a local solicitor
Property in and around Athlone carries local characteristics that a solicitor unfamiliar with the town may not anticipate. Compulsory first registration was extended to Co. Westmeath, Longford and Roscommon in April 2006, which means titles for older properties in the town are more likely to sit in the Registry of Deeds rather than the Land Register and require additional work before a sale can complete.
Athlone also straddles the River Shannon. Cross the bridge past Sean's Bar and the Luan Gallery and you leave Co. Westmeath for Co. Roscommon. Homes in Monksland and Bellanamullia sit in Roscommon, while Coosan, Retreat, Summerhill and Garrycastle sit in Westmeath. That single fact determines which local authority holds the planning file, the roads records and the water services register. Buyers who assume a single county are frequently surprised.
The older streets of the town bring their own patterns or challenges. Properties around Castle Street, Connaught Street and Irishtown often have unregistered title, historic rights of way, or boundaries that do not match the folio map. Move out toward Baylin, Clonown and the townlands along the Lough Ree shore and drainage is more likely to be by septic tank than by mains connection, which brings its own certification requirements. It is so important to get this right.
A solicitor who deals with these files every week identifies the issue before contracts issue rather than three weeks before a closing date.
What to expect when you instruct us
A named point of contact. You deal with the same person for the duration of the transaction. You are not passed between departments.
Costs explained at the outset. We issue a written engagement letter setting out our fees and the outlays before any work begins. Our house purchase fees calculator service and house sale fees calculator service will give you an indicative figure before you ever meet us at all.
Early identification of title issues. We investigate title at the start rather than at the end, which is where most delays in Irish conveyancing originate.
Plain English updates. You are told what has happened, what is outstanding and what is expected next.
Regulated practice. Tormeys Solicitors LLP is authorised and registered in Ireland by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority. Our solicitors are members of the Law Society of Ireland.
Frequently asked questions about conveyancing
How long does a conveyancing transaction take?
A straightforward residential sale or purchase with registered title and mortgage finance in place typically takes between two and three months from the date a sale is agreed. Transactions involving unregistered title, missing planning documentation, a probate sale or a first registration application take longer. The single largest cause of delay is a title problem that comes to light after contracts have issued. We investigate title early for exactly this reason. We confirm a realistic timeframe in writing once we have reviewed the title documents.
Do I need a solicitor to buy or sell property in Ireland?
Yes, in the vast majority of cases. The transfer of legal ownership in property requires a deed and a lending institution will not release mortgage funds without a solicitor certifying title on its behalf. Beyond the legal requirement, a solicitor protects your position. They raise pre-contract enquiries, confirm planning compliance, check that boundaries match the folio and ensure that you acquire clear title. Our team on Castle Street, beside Athlone Castle, acts for buyers and sellers across Co. Westmeath and the surrounding counties.
What is the difference between registered and unregistered title?
Registered title is recorded on a folio held by Tailte Éireann, which sets out the owner, the property boundaries and any burdens affecting the land. Unregistered title is proved by a chain of historic deeds recorded in the Registry of Deeds. Approximately ninety per cent of land in Ireland is now registered. Compulsory first registration applied in Co. Westmeath from April 2006, so therefore any older properties around Irishtown and Connaught Street are more likely than most to require a first registration application on sale.
What does a conveyancing solicitor actually do?
The work falls into four stages. First, investigating title and reviewing the contract, including raising enquiries with the other side’s solicitor. Second, advising on and completing the contract, the loan documentation and any related declarations. Third, completing the transaction and accounting for the money. Fourth, stamping the deed with Revenue and lodging the application for registration with Tailte Éireann. Each stage produces documents that a lender, a future buyer or Revenue may rely on for decades.
How do I get started?
Contact the Conveyancing and Probate team by phone on +353 (0) 90 6493456 or through the enquiry form on this page. Tell us whether you are buying, selling, transferring or re-mortgaging, and where the property is located. We will confirm what we need from you, issue an engagement letter setting out our fees and the outlays, and begin work on receipt of your instructions. There is no charge for the initial conversation.
Conveyancing across Athlone, Westmeath and the Midlands
Tormeys Solicitors LLP has practised from a historic townhouse on Castle Street, in the shadow of Athlone Castle and a short walk from the Shannon quays, for close to a century. Our Conveyancing and Probate team acts for clients across the town, from the terraces of Irishtown and Connaught Street to the newer estates at Retreat, Summerhill, Coosan and Garrycastle, and out to Monksland and Bellanamullia on the Roscommon bank.
Beyond the town we act throughout Co. Westmeath, in Glasson and along the Lough Ree shore at Hodson Bay, in Moate, Kilbeggan, Ballymore and Mullingar, and across the wider Midlands.
Business name: Tormeys Solicitors LLP
Address: Castle Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 D960
Phone: +353 (0) 90 6493456
Email: info@tormeys.ie
Speak to our conveyancing team
Contact the Conveyancing and Probate team at Tormeys Solicitors about your property transaction. We will explain the steps involved, confirm our fees in writing and tell you what we need to begin. No obligation.
