The Bridgwater conveyancing lawyers that I appointed last week on my purchase in Bridgwater have without warning shut down. I chose them because I had to have a lawyer on the conveyancing panel and my preferred Bridgwater lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What should be my next steps?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to assist.

I have recentlybecome aware that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Bridgwater for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I check that my home is not still registered in the name of the previous owner?

The quickest way to check if the property is in your name, you can carry out 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 Bridgwater conveyancing specialists.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Bridgwater is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Bridgwater are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Bridgwater you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Bridgwater may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

Taking into account that I am about to spend £400,000 on a property in Bridgwater I would like to have a conversation with the solicitor regarding thehome move prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

This is something that we encourage - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the solicitor who will be conducting your property ownership legalities in Bridgwater.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important person, not a matter number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Bridgwater should be the figure that you end up paying.

A couple of months ago I was told by my mortgage company that their approved lawyers work on no move no charge basis for conveyancing in Bridgwater. My purchase fell through nevertheless the lawyers want search fees! They are claiming that the fees are nothing to do with their fees!

Bridgwater conveyancing search fees are separate expenses not legal costs as these are due to a third party.