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By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 13 November 2026
This guide is for buyers from Singapore, Indonesia, India, China and Malaysia, and MM2H applicants, choosing a lawyer for a Johor Bahru purchase. The short answer: appoint your own conveyancing lawyer rather than sharing the seller’s, check on the Malaysian Bar’s Legal Directory that the lawyer is a practising advocate and solicitor, and compare quotes against the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023 scale. Before you appoint, ask who will handle your file, how long each step usually takes, and how they handle state consent and signing from abroad. Pay purchase money only into the firm’s client account, after confirming the details by phone.
Quick answer
- Separate lawyers: in a subsale the buyer and seller normally each have their own lawyer, and the bank has its own lawyer for the loan documents.
- Fees: 1.25% of the first RM500,000 (minimum RM500) and 1% of the next RM7 million, under the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023, in force since 15 July 2023. Lawyers may reduce the subsale and loan scale by up to 25%. Add 8% service tax and disbursements.
- Verify: search the lawyer and firm on the Malaysian Bar’s Legal Directory. A law degree alone does not make someone a lawyer.
- Ask: who does the work day to day, experience with Johor titles and state consent for foreigners, expected timeline, and how they keep you updated.
- Money: pay only to the firm’s client account; a stakeholder may release money only on the agreed terms.
- Abroad: foreign buyers usually sign land documents themselves, before a qualified witness, because a power of attorney generally will not work for them.
What a conveyancing lawyer does in a purchase
Conveyancing is the legal work of moving ownership from seller to buyer and registering the bank’s charge. In a Johor subsale there are usually three sets of lawyers:
| Lawyer | Acts for | Main jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer’s lawyer | You | Title and bankruptcy searches, drafting or reviewing the SPA, applying for consents (including state consent for foreigners), stamping, paying the balance and registering the transfer. |
| Seller’s lawyer | The seller | Getting the seller’s loan redemption figure, confirming outgoings are paid, delivering the title and signed transfer, and releasing the price as the SPA allows. |
| Bank’s (panel) lawyer | Your lender | Preparing the loan and charge documents, which you sign, and registering the charge. The borrower normally pays these fees. |
In a new launch, the developer’s lawyer prepares the statutory SPA. A Bar Council ruling says a lawyer acting for a developer at a sales site must tell buyers they may appoint their own lawyer, and must not act for the buyer. You can, and often should, have your own lawyer read the SPA and loan papers. My guide to the SPA explained covers the forms.
Why separate lawyers matter
Buyer and seller want different things: the buyer wants clean title and protection, the seller wants the money released quickly. Under the Bar Council’s rulings (as at 20 January 2026), a lawyer who acted for both sides in preparing an agreement cannot act for either side in a later dispute over it. Sharing one lawyer may look cheaper, but you lose an adviser who looks only after your interests. An article republished on the Malaysian Bar’s conveyancing practice page makes the same point: a prudent buyer should consider separate, independent legal advice.
What it costs: the 2023 scale
Legal fees for sales and loans are set by the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023, which replaced the 2005 Order from 15 July 2023 (Malaysian Bar Circular 185/2023).
| Part of the price or loan | Scale fee |
|---|---|
| First RM500,000 | 1.25% (minimum RM500) |
| Next RM7,000,000 | 1% |
| Above RM7,500,000 | Negotiable, but not more than 1% of the excess |
| New launch under the Housing Development Act (Table B) | A set share of the scale: 75% up to RM250,000, 70% up to RM500,000, 65% up to RM1 million, 50% above (minimum RM500) |
| Reduction allowed | Up to 25% below Table A (subsale SPA and loan); none on Table B |
Illustration for a RM600,000 subsale with a RM540,000 loan: the SPA scale fee is RM6,250 on the first RM500,000 plus RM1,000 on the next RM100,000, so RM7,250. The loan scale fee is RM6,250 plus RM400, so RM6,650. Service tax has been 8% since 1 March 2024 (New Straits Times, February 2024), and disbursements such as searches, registration and courier are extra. These are my calculations at the full scale; use my buying costs calculator and the legal fees guide for your own figures.
Ask for a written, itemised quote covering professional fees, service tax and expected disbursements, including any separate charge for state consent work.
Check that the lawyer is real and practising
- Search the Legal Directory. The Malaysian Bar’s official directory lists its members and law firms. In October 2025 the Bar said that anyone offering legal services who is not listed is not authorised to advise the public.
- Match the details. The lawyer’s name, firm, firm address and phone number should match the directory, the letterhead and the email domain.
- Know the title. Only people admitted as advocates and solicitors of the High Court are lawyers. A law graduate, a paralegal or a social-media “legal adviser” is not.
- Complaints. Misconduct and impostors can be reported to the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board.
Questions to ask before you appoint
- Who handles my file? The lawyer, or a clerk supervised by a lawyer? Who do I call, and how fast do they reply?
- Johor experience. How many Johor transfers have they done recently, with which land offices? For foreigners: have they handled Johor state consent for foreign buyers, and what documents will they need from me?
- Timeline. How long do searches, consents, loan documents and registration usually take for a title like this one? What could delay it?
- Title type. Individual title, strata title or still under a master title? Any restriction in interest, leasehold expiry or land-use condition to watch? See my guide to land title searches and caveats.
- Money flow. Who holds the deposit as stakeholder, on what terms, and how will the RPGT retention and the seller’s loan redemption be handled?
- Signing. Can I sign abroad, before whom, and will the bank accept it?
- Fees. The scale fee, any reduction, service tax, disbursements, and what is charged if the deal falls through.
- Updates. Will they send a short written update at each stage?
About to choose a lawyer for a JB purchase?
Tell me the property, the price and whether you are buying from abroad. I’ll walk you through the steps and usual timeline so you know what to ask the lawyer you choose.
WhatsApp JasonStakeholder sums and client accounts
A lawyer holds clients’ money in a client account under the Solicitors’ Account Rules 1990, separate from the firm’s own money. Some sums are held as stakeholder: the lawyer keeps them for both sides and releases them only when agreed conditions are met.
| Sum | Who usually holds it | Released when |
|---|---|---|
| Earnest deposit and balance deposit (subsale) | The seller’s or buyer’s lawyer as stakeholder, as the SPA says | On completion, or as the SPA allows |
| RPGT retention | Buyer’s lawyer | Paid to LHDN within 60 days of the disposal date: the lower of the cash price, the self-assessed tax, or 3% of the price (7% if the seller is a non-citizen, non-PR or foreign company) |
| Balance purchase price | Buyer’s lawyer (your share) and your bank (the loan) | After the transfer is presented for registration and the seller’s loan is redeemed, as the SPA sets |
The Bar Council’s rulings say a stakeholder must keep strictly to the stakeholding terms and release money only under them or with all parties’ written consent, and that client accounts may not be held in offshore banks. Two habits protect you:
- Pay only into the firm’s client account, never to a lawyer’s, clerk’s or agent’s personal account.
- Confirm account details by phone on a number you found yourself, before every payment. An email saying the firm “has changed banks” is the classic scam; see my property scams guide and paying from abroad.
Signing from abroad
A good lawyer plans the signing with you on day one. Under section 211 of the National Land Code, a transfer or charge must be signed before a qualified witness, and section 433F makes most land documents a non-citizen executes through a power of attorney void. So foreign buyers usually sign the key documents themselves, in Johor or before a notary or Malaysian consular officer abroad. Malaysia is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked November 2026), so allow time for legalisation. My guides to buying in JB without flying in and powers of attorney go into detail.
Red flags
- The person is not in the Bar’s Legal Directory, or the firm’s address and phone do not match it.
- You are asked to pay into a personal account, or a “new” account sent by email or chat.
- A quote far below the scale with no explanation, or an all-in price with no itemised list.
- Pressure to sign the SPA before the title search is done or before you have read it.
- A suggestion to use a nominee or side agreement to get around foreign-buyer rules; see nominee ownership risks.
- No written updates, and nobody can tell you where your file stands.
How it fits into the whole purchase
Appoint your lawyer before you sign anything binding beyond the offer. The order is usually: offer and earnest deposit, title search, SPA, loan documents, consents, completion and registration. My guides to the legal steps of buying in Johor, the subsale timeline in JB and the memorandum of transfer and title registration show where your lawyer fits. Foreign buyers should also read the Johor minimum price guide and stamp duty in 2026.
Where to buy if this matters to you
- Mount Austin: many completed subsale condos and terraces with individual or strata titles.
- Iskandar Puteri: a mix of residential and commercial titles, so the title check matters.
- JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: city-centre high-rises near the RTS Link.
- Permas Jaya and Senibong: established east-side estates.
- New launches in JB: statutory SPAs prepared by the developer’s lawyer.
Compare them on my JB property map.
More Johor living guides: Legal fees when buying · The SPA explained · State consent in Johor · Hidden costs of buying
Frequently asked questions
Can the buyer and seller use the same lawyer in Malaysia?
It happens, but it is usually better for each side to have its own lawyer. Under the Bar Council’s rulings, a lawyer who acted for both sides in preparing an agreement cannot act for either in a later dispute over it, and you lose an adviser focused only on you.
How much does a conveyancing lawyer charge in Malaysia?
Under the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023: 1.25% of the first RM500,000 (minimum RM500), 1% of the next RM7 million, and a negotiable fee capped at 1% above that. Lawyers may reduce subsale and loan fees by up to 25%. Add 8% service tax and disbursements.
How do I check if a lawyer is genuine?
Search the name and firm on the Malaysian Bar’s Legal Directory and match the address, phone and email domain. The Bar said in October 2025 that people not listed are not authorised to give legal services to the public.
Do I need my own lawyer for a new launch?
It is not compulsory, but it helps. The developer’s lawyer prepares the statutory SPA and acts for the developer; a Bar Council ruling says a lawyer acting for the developer at a sales site must not act for the buyer. Your own lawyer can check your unit details and loan papers.
Where should I pay the deposit and balance?
Into the law firm’s client account, or the developer’s Housing Development Account for a new launch, after confirming the account by phone on a number you found yourself. Never into a personal account or a new account sent by email.
Can a foreign buyer sign through a power of attorney?
Generally not for the land documents. Section 433F of the National Land Code makes most instruments a non-citizen executes through an attorney void, so foreign buyers usually sign themselves, in Johor or before a notary or Malaysian consular officer abroad.
Buying in JB and choosing a lawyer?
I don’t choose your lawyer for you, but I can explain each step and the usual timeline for your property and title type, so you know what to ask before you appoint one. Tell me the property, the price and where you are buying from. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.
Sources: Malaysian Bar, Circular No 185/2023, Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023 (in force 15 July 2023); Malaysian Bar, Rules and Rulings of the Bar Council, as at 20 January 2026 (rulings 5.07, 6.07, 8.03, 14.10); Malaysian Bar, press release “Understanding the legal profession: who is a lawyer?”, 1 October 2025; FMT, “Bar Council cautions public against ‘social media lawyers’”, 1 October 2025; Malaysian Bar, Legal Directory, checked November 2026; Malaysian Bar Conveyancing Practice Committee page, “The solicitor in a sale and purchase transaction”, checked November 2026; Malaysian Bar, Accountant’s Report Rules 1990, rule 2 (client account as defined in the Solicitors’ Account Rules 1990); LHDN, RPGT: retention and remittance of money by the acquirer, checked November 2026; New Straits Times, “SST 2 pct hike: here’s what you need to know”, February 2024; National Land Code (Revised 2020), section 211, attestation of instruments, checked November 2026; National Land Code (Revised 2020), section 433F, checked November 2026; HCCH, Apostille Convention status table, checked November 2026
Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 13 November 2026, not legal advice. I do not recommend particular lawyers or firms. Fees, rules and practice change; confirm everything with the lawyer you appoint.