Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Cleator is not on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of her work?

That would most likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should contact the Cleator conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

The Cleator conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Cleator have suddenly closed. They were on acting for me because I needed a lawyer on the Co-operative conveyancing panel and my family Cleator lawyer was not. I sent them a cheque for £250 in advance. What do I do now?

If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. 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 Co-operative 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 solicitors should be in a position to assist.

Have purchased a a semi-detached house in Cleator , how long will it take for the Land Registry to record my ownership? My Cleator conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to check that my ownership is recorded.

As far as conveyancing in Cleator registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry have to notify any interested persons or bodies. Currently roughly three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but some can be subject to protracted hold-ups. Registration takes place after the buyer is living at the property therefore an expedited registration is not always top priority yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.

I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Cleator for my home move. Is it possible to see a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

Anyone may review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.

I would be grateful if you would explain what options are open to me where my Cleator conveyancing searches shows detrimental results?

Usually, the majority of concerns exposed in Cleator conveyancing search results can be addressed before completion or title insurance can be put on cover. It is important to remember that even though you may be acquiring the property and may be willing to live with the search results, your building society or bank may not, and ultimately they have the final say.