I am in the process of selling my apartment in Pratt's Bottom and the estate agent has just called to warn that the purchasers are changing their conveyancer. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. 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. The purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.

I am hoping to complete my purchase in Pratt's Bottom next Thursday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the lender. What risks does the mortgage company expect the insurance to cover?

Any lawyer on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. These obligations are not unique to conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom.

It is is a decade since I acquired my property in Pratt's Bottom. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?

Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be with your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.

I got the keys to my home on 14 January and my personal details are still not registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Pratt's Bottom advises it should be dealt with in a couple of weeks. Are properties in Pratt's Bottom particularly slow to register?

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timeframes can vary according to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any 3rd parties. At present approximately 80% of submission are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Registration is effected after the new owner is living at the premises therefore registration formalities is not always an essential issue yet where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

What does commercial conveyancing in Pratt's Bottom cover?

Pratt's Bottom conveyancing for business premises covers a wide array of advice, provided by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. For instance, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the assignment of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.