We are buying a 1 bedroom flat in Birmingham with a mortgage. We like our Birmingham conveyancer, however the bank advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel solicitors or continue with our Birmingham lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. 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. Another option that might be available is for your Birmingham conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am purchasing a right to buy a flat in Birmingham. Can I do my own conveyancing?

Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Birmingham you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Birmingham.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Birmingham?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Birmingham. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Taking into account that I will soon spend 450k on a house in Birmingham I would like to talk to a lawyer concerning theconveyancing prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

This is something that we encourage - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the solicitor who will be doing your property ownership legalities in Birmingham.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique individual, not a file number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Birmingham should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Birmingham solicitors? How do you know who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel?

Birmingham law firm practices and firms carrying out conveyancing in Birmingham themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the lender conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from the bank directly.