We are purchasing a 3 bedroom apartment in Mickleover with a mortgage. We like our Mickleover conveyancer, however the bank says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or keep our Mickleover lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This feels very unfair; are we not able to insist that the lender use our Mickleover conveyancer ?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Mickleover conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

My house in Mickleover is up for sale and I have a purchaser. Does my conveyancer need to be on the Santander conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Santander conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.

I am being advised by my lawyer that chancel insurance is required on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Mickleover?

The appropriate level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Yorkshire Building Society and Chelsea Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Nottingham, do Mickleover lawyers have to pay an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Mickleover building society branch on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Mickleover conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

The lawyer must comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 conditions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

Should I be suspicious that brokers that I am dealing with are recommending a factory type conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Mickleover conveyancing company?

As with many service providers, often referrals from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are many players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders might all suggest lawyers to retain. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but sometimes there is an underlying financial incentive behind the recommendation. You are free to appoint your preferred lawyer. However, bear in mind that the majority of mortgage providers have an approved list of law firms you must use for the mortgage related work in your house move.

We are considering choosing a web based conveyancing practitioner rather than a Mickleover conveyancing firm. Any advice?

Numerous benefits exist in being able to attend a local Mickleover conveyancing solicitor for instance

• signing papers on short notice
• getting face-to-face explanations of matters that need explaining
• the ability to raise concerns if matters need to addressed

When checking fees, look out for hidden extras. The majority decent Mickleover high street solicitors give an all-inclusive figure. Often online companies seem to offer low cost fees, yet have hidden 'extras' in the fine print.