I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Carlisle and the EA has just called to advise that the purchasers are changing their solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Carlisle ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. 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. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

At what point can the exchange of contracts happen for purchase conveyancing in Carlisle and do I need to attend the solicitors branch?

Where you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Carlisle you are welcome to come in to sign documents. However, the lender approved solicitors we work with provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give as equally diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you by post or email. The signing of the property agreement is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract simply enables the firm to exchange contracts at the appropriate time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where a long "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Carlisle)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.

My bank has recommended a law firm on their panel based in Carlisle but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Carlisle or nearer to where I live. Are you able to help?

The minority of Carlisle conveyancing practitioners are approved and listed on all banks conveyancing panel. Do make use of the above find an approved solicitor tool to locate a Carlisle conveyancing conveyancer on the on the lender panel.

I am the only beneficiary of my late father’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Carlisle. The Carlisle property was put into my name in January. I plan to dispose of the property. I understand that there is a CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship could be regarded the same way as if I'd bought the house in January. Do I have to wait half a year to sell?

The CML handbook obliges conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be impacted by that. How sensible a view banks take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this clause principally exists to capture subsales or the flipping of property.

is it true that all Carlisle solicitor firms on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

We had appointed solicitors with offices in Carlisle on the Kent Reliance solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a further amount for handling the Kent Reliance mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Kent Reliance?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your solicitor may levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Kent Reliance but by your Carlisle solicitor. Plenty of firms on the Kent Reliance panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

Been reading online that Carlisle solicitors are more costly than Carlisle conveyancers in Carlisle to use when buying a house. So is it better if I use a conveyancer or a solicitor if I am purchasing for my home move in Carlisle.

When it comes to conveyancing in Carlisle the costs are unlikely to vary dramatically depending on whether the legal expert is a licenced conveyancer or solicitor.