My wife and I are buying a flat in Emerson Park. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we will need to send money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our monies?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I can not fathom if my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Emerson Park bank branch on numerous occasions and was told it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Emerson Park conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their published requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

As long as the is on the mortgage company panel, they must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Emerson Park. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an advanced payment of £200. A few days later, the contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home are lost. The lawyers who did the conveyancing in Emerson Park 5 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?

Gone are the days when you need to hold title original deeds to evidence that you are the owner of your registered land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.

How does conveyancing in Emerson Park differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Emerson Park come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is built. This is because house builders in Emerson Park tend to buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Emerson Park or who has acted in the same development.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Emerson Park for my home move. Is there any facility to see a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

One can review published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training purposes.

I want to let out my leasehold apartment in Emerson Park. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Some leases for properties in Emerson Park do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

I own a ground floor flat in Emerson Park, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Emerson Park with a long lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 50

With only 50 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.