Conveyancing solicitors will face higher bank charges as a result of the Land Registry’s new electronic portal.

On 31 March, Land Registry Direct, the means by which solicitors access the Land Registry’s e-business services, will be replaced by a new electronic platform.

Under the new portal, the Land Registry will no longer charge solicitors a monthly bill. Instead, an individual charge for each service used will be deducted by direct debit from the solicitor’s account straight away, meaning that the solicitor will need to pay a bank charge on each occasion.

A Land Registry spokeswoman said Land Registry charges had not increased but it could no longer afford to offer services on a credit payment basis.