“Have you used AI?” tells an interviewer little about how a conveyancer works. A better question is: “How would you establish that this buyer’s enquiry has actually been answered?”
On 5 November 2026, LexisNexis published findings from its UK and Ireland survey. Of 131 respondents who identified property as an area of practice, 63% reported using AI daily or several times a week. Only 17% described it as embedded in their organisation’s strategy and operations. The sample includes commercial and residential practitioners; the figures do not establish adoption across every conveyancing firm.
Give the candidate a small discrepancy to find
Build a fictional purchase file containing an enquiry, a reply promising to send a document and an AI-generated summary saying the document has arrived. Ask the candidate to draft a two-sentence update for the buyer. They can do the exercise on paper: it tests file review, not access to a paid tool.
A strong answer identifies the document that is still missing, points to the wording in the reply and explains what can be said to the buyer now. A fluent update that repeats the summary without checking it misses the most important fact on the file.
Ask who makes the decision
Ask the candidate where they would record the open enquiry and who should review the matter before it progresses. Then reverse the interview: which tools does the firm approve, what material may staff enter, and who is responsible for checking outputs? Those answers help a candidate judge the support behind a vacancy advertised as technology-led.
Employers can use the same fictional pack and marking criteria for everyone. Do not ask applicants to bring real client papers to demonstrate their skills.
Source: LexisNexis property-law survey analysis, 5 November 2026.