Conveyancing comes of age: electronic documents with electronic signatures

New rules for dispositions of registered land using electronic documents with electronic signatures have been made.

The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2018 amend the Land Registration Rules, which make detailed provision for land registration in England and Wales under the Land Registration Act 2002. The new Rules come into force on 6 April 2018.

• (a) insert new rules to allow for all dispositions of registered land that must be registered to be carried out using electronic documents with electronic signatures, once the Registrar is satisfied adequate arrangements are in place and publishes a notice to that effect;

• (b) provide that the notice referred to in (a) must specify the kind or kinds of disposition that can be carried out electronically and may limit them to particular types of that kind of disposition, as services are developed incrementally.

HMLR’s explanatory memorandum can be read down below; 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/70/pdfs/uksiem_20180070_en.pdf