Conveyancing is the legal work that transfers a property from seller to buyer. In Ireland it is reserved to solicitors, so anyone buying or selling in Cork is choosing between firms rather than between types of professional.
The firms below act for buyers and sellers in Cork City and across the county. Each is described by where it is based and what its conveyancing work covers, and they are listed by office location, working from East Cork towards the south and west of the county. Further down, the guide sets out what to check before instructing any firm and the local points that tend to shape a Cork transaction.
Conveyancing Firms Acting for Cork Buyers and Sellers
1. Ronan Deasy Solicitors
Ronan Deasy Solicitors acts as a conveyancing solicitor in Cork for buyers, sellers and investors, and works with estate agents. With offices in Midleton, Cobh and Cork City, the firm also provides eConveyancing services across Ireland. Conveyancing is handled remotely where that suits the client, so a buyer or seller does not need to live nearby. Fees are made clear from the outset, clients are updated by phone, email or whichever channel suits them, and the firm also works in Irish, Spanish and French.
2. KW Solicitors
KW Solicitors, the practice of Katherina White Solicitors, is based on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork City and acts for buyers, sellers and property investors across the city and county. Its conveyancing work covers purchases, sales and first-time buyers, together with contract and title review, planning and search due diligence, and dealing with lenders on mortgage conditions. Because the firm also practises family law and probate, property transfers following a separation and the sale of property from an estate can be handled alongside the conveyancing.
3. McCarthy + Co Solicitors
McCarthy + Co Solicitors LLP has a Cork office at 12 South Mall, alongside offices in Dublin and Clonakilty. Its conveyancing team, led by Joseph McCarthy, acts for first-time buyers, people trading up and sellers, and handles new build purchases, including developer contracts, snag lists and management company arrangements. It also covers purchases at auction, sales from an estate, property financing and commercial conveyancing, including agricultural land. Much of its client work is done remotely.
4. Denise Kelleher & Associates Solicitors
Denise Kelleher & Associates Solicitors is based in Ballygarvan, south of Cork City. Its property work covers the purchase and sale of domestic and commercial property, commercial leases, co-ownership, mortgages and remortgages, and planning. Farm transfers and agricultural land feature prominently in its conveyancing, and the firm also practises family law, wills and probate, and landlord and tenant law.
5. O’Donovan & Co Solicitors
O’Donovan & Co Solicitors LLP is based at The Old Brewery in Kinsale and acts for clients throughout Cork City and County. Property transactions are one of its listed practice areas, alongside family law, probate and estate planning, employment law and licensing. The firm also operates the Kinsale Mediation Centre.
What to Check Before Instructing a Conveyancing Solicitor in Cork
Every solicitor practising in Ireland must hold a current practising certificate, and the Law Society of Ireland’s Find a Solicitor search lists solicitors and firms, with filters for county and practising status. The Law Society also states that the list covers solicitors who hold a current practising certificate and professional indemnity insurance. Checking a firm takes a minute and confirms it is a legitimate practice before any documents are sent.
It also helps to know the complaints route before it is needed. Complaints about the quality of service, the amount charged or professional conduct go to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, whose complaints service is free. There is generally a three-year time limit on complaints about service and costs, and no time limit on misconduct complaints.
Ask whether the firm acts regularly on your type of transaction. A second-hand house, a new build with a developer’s contract, an apartment within a management company, a farm transfer and a sale from an estate each raise different questions, and the firms above differ in how much of each they list.
Ask for a written quote that separates the firm’s own fee from outlays paid to third parties, states what would trigger an additional charge and says whether VAT is included. Two quotes are only comparable when they cover the same things.
Finally, find out who will run the file day to day, how often you will be updated and how quickly queries are answered. A conveyance can legitimately sit still while a third party locates a document. What differs between firms is whether you are told.
Whichever firm you choose, expect it to ask for photographic identification, proof of address and evidence of where your deposit funds came from, because these are anti-money laundering requirements. Gathering them while you are still viewing properties costs nothing.
How a Cork Purchase Runs, From Offer to Registration
The sequence is the same whichever firm acts, and it is worth knowing before the first call.
Offer accepted. The property is marked sale agreed and the estate agent asks for the buyer’s solicitor’s details. A booking deposit is paid to the agent at this stage, and nothing is legally binding until contracts are signed and exchanged.
Contract pack. The seller’s solicitor sends the contract with the title documents and supporting papers, such as planning documentation and any management company file.
Title and searches. The buyer’s solicitor examines the title, carries out searches, including folio and planning searches, and raises requisitions where something is missing or unclear.
Mortgage conditions. Where a mortgage is involved, the lender’s conditions must be met before funds are released, and the solicitor certifies title to the lender.
Contracts and deposit. The buyer signs and pays the contract deposit, and the contract becomes binding once it has been exchanged.
Closing and registration. Funds transfer, the keys are released, stamp duty is dealt with through Revenue and the transfer is registered with Tailte Éireann.
How long each stage takes depends mostly on the title and the mortgage rather than on the firm. Missing planning documents, a map that does not match the property or outstanding management company accounts are the usual causes of delay, and each has to be resolved by someone outside the solicitor’s office.
Buying or Selling in Cork: Local Points That Shape a Transaction
Planning records and many of the searches in a Cork purchase sit with the local authority, which is Cork City Council for properties inside the city and Cork County Council for those outside it. Which side of the boundary a property falls on affects where the enquiries go.
The property itself shapes the file as much as the location does. Where a property is older, the title may be unregistered, which means the deeds are examined rather than a folio read. Apartment schemes, which are common in and around the city, bring management company documents, service charges and accounts into the transaction. In newer estates, a buyer will commonly want to know whether roads and open spaces have been taken in charge by the local authority.
In rural parts of the county, rights of way, access to a public road and boundaries on land held within a family for generations are the points that most often slow a sale. Farm transfers and agricultural land are a regular part of the work for several firms in the county, which is worth weighing if that is your situation.
Choosing a Firm Before You Need One
The decision is less about which name to pick than about confirming that a firm is practising, acts regularly on your kind of transaction and quotes clearly. Doing that before an offer is made means the answers are in hand when the estate agent asks for your solicitor’s details, rather than being rushed afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose a conveyancing solicitor in Cork?
Check the firm on the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor search, ask whether it acts regularly on your type of transaction, and request a written quote that separates fees from outlays. Then ask who will handle your file and how often you will be updated. Location matters less than it once did, since many Cork firms now handle conveyancing remotely.
Do I have to use a Cork firm for a Cork property?
No. Solicitors can act for clients anywhere in Ireland, and several firms handle files remotely. A local firm is more likely to know the local authority’s records and the area’s housing stock, which can save time, but it is not a legal requirement.
Does conveyancing have to be done by a solicitor in Ireland?
Yes. Conveyancing is reserved work in Ireland, and there is no separate licensed conveyancer profession as there is in England and Wales. If you are buying with a mortgage, your lender will also require a solicitor to act and to certify the title.
