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approved by Family BS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Family BS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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How does my firm apply to be on the Family Building Society Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Family Building Society Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Family Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Common questions asked concerning the Family Building Society Solicitor Panel
I need to swap lawyers as my lawyer is not on the Family Building Society panel of conveyancing solicitors. Is it practical to instruct different lawyers?
If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to do anything for you and have just received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer you're considering.
My conveyancer has identified an inconsistency when comparing the surveyor’s assumptions in Family Building Society’s home valuation survey and what is revealed within the conveyancing documents. My solicitor says that as he is on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel he is obliged to ensure that the bank is happy with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my solicitor’s approach legitimate?
A precondition to being on the Family Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Family Building Society) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.
I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Family Building Society approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the Family Building Society conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the Family Building Society solicitor panel.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Family Building Society Conveyancing panel in advance of completion?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
Is it the case that all conveyancing solicitors on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel work on a no sale no fee basis?
There is generally no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a ‘gatekeeper’). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package
I was thinking of purchasing my friend’s property. Once we agree a price, what’s the best way to proceed? I hope to get a mortgage with Family Building Society. Is it possible to avoid using solicitors to save on the costs? My father said that years ago it was possible to take the documents into the local Land Registry office and they did the rest
If you are getting a mortgage with Family Building Society involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to Family Building Society. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel.
I have paid off my mortgage with Family Building Society. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Family Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Family Building Society mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Family Building Society mortgage from the register. Family Building Society,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
but are not moving to another property
where the Family Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the Family Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Family Building Society mortgage has been paid off.