Find a Law Firm
approved by MandS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the MandS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Looking for information about your firm's panel status?
How does my firm apply to be on the M&S Bank Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the M&S Bank Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the M&S Bank Conveyancing Panel
FAQs : The M&S Bank Solicitor Panel
I am selling my apartment and the EA has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are changing their law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that M&S Bank will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only deal with certain law firms?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few 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 25 years.
Banks blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. 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 buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
Our conveyancing solicitor has informed me that he requires ID documents stating that this is part of his legal duty as a conveyancer on the M&S Bank Solicitor panel. Can you confirm whether this is the case?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offense if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage with M&S Bank your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy M&S Bank
What tools are available to search for a local solicitor on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10 miles to meet the conveyancer.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel tool on this website. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the M&S Bank solicitor panel.
I was expecting to move into my first house last Thursday. My solicitor is on the M&S Bank conveyancing panel but has moved offices in the past couple of months and had not advised M&S Bank of their new address. M&S Bank is now refusing to release my funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is a rare situation indeed. Most lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local M&S Bank branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as M&S Bank do lawyers have to be pay a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
I previously instructed online conveyancers located in Bristol who are on the M&S Bank solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate fee of £195 for the legal aspects of the M&S Bank mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by M&S Bank?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by M&S Bank but by your lawyers. Some firms on the M&S Bank will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of firms include it on their overall fee.
Can I be sure that the solicitor on the M&S Bank panel is any good?
obtaining recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing
Other Topics
Transfer of Equity for M&S BankPlease note that Lexsure Ltd is in no way associated with nor affiliated with Lexsure Solicitors