I am progressing with the sale of my flat in Gerrards Cross and the EA has just telephoned to warn that the buyers are changing their law firm. The excuse is that the bank will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Gerrards Cross ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for over 25 years.

Lending institutions justify this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Our mortgage company has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Gerrards Cross but I would rather choose a conveyancing lawyer in Gerrards Cross or nearer to where I live. Can you assist?

The minority of Gerrards Cross conveyancing practitioners are approved and listed on all banks conveyancing panel. Use the above search tool to find a Gerrards Cross conveyancing conveyancer on the on the lender panel.

I got the keys to my flat on 1 November and my personal details are still not registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Gerrards Cross expressed confidence that it will be formalised inside ten days. Are transfers in Gerrards Cross particularly slow to register?

As far as conveyancing in Gerrards Cross registration is no faster or slower than the rest of the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ depending on the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry must send notices to any third persons or bodies. Currently roughly 80% of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Registration is effected once the buyer has moved in to the property therefore 'speed' is not usually an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I opted to have a survey done on a house in Gerrards Cross ahead of appointing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not issue a loan on this type of property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can look into this further with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Gerrards Cross. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Gerrards Cross especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Gerrards Cross.

I am using a search engine for the phrase on line conveyancing in Gerrards Cross it reveals numerous property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the right solicitor for my move?

The preferential method of choosing the right conveyancer is through a personal testimonial, so enquire of colleagues and family who have bought a property in Gerrards Cross or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Gerrards Cross vary, so it's sensible to secure a minimum of four estimates from different property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.