Our god-son is in the process of securing a new build apartment in Archway with a mortgage from UBS. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the UBS conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the UBS conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

As a novice what is the most important piece of guidance you can give me concerning purchase conveyancing in Archway?

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Archway or throughout England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for conflict between you and others involved in the house moving process. For instance, the vendor, selling agent and even potentially your mortgage company. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Archway is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the transaction whose responsibility is to protect your best interests and to protect you.

Every so often a potential adversary may try and persuade you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For example, the property agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your conveyancer is slow. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do take action that is against your conveyancers advice. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the home moving process.

This question may be naive but I am new to the home moving as a first time buyer of a ground floor flat in Archway. Do I collect the keys to the property on the completion date from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Archway?

On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Archway. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the purchase money to the seller's conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be called to collect the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

I am buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Archway. The intention is to an extension at the rear at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve investigations to ascertain if these works are prohibited?

Your conveyancer will review the deeds as conveyancing in Archway will occasionally reveal restrictions in the title deeds which restrict certain works or require the consent of a 3rd party. Certain works call for local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.

Can I be sure that the Archway conveyancing solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Archway 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 advertising the lowest fees. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing.

I have todaydiscovered that Wolstenholmes have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Archway for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 9 months ago. How can I check that the property is in my name in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest method to check if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Archway conveyancing specialists.

I was advised by a few selling agents in Archway to get a quote from a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above another?

We refuse to give any commission for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee as home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.