I am not well enough to travel far from Greater Manchester. Is there a reason why all Greater Manchester solicitors are not on all lender panels?

Before the recession most mortgage companies exhibited an approach to risk which is different than today. The Financial Services Authority in 2010 instigated a thematic review into property fraud which concluded: know the lawyers on your panel. Accordingly, banks have subsequently looked to extract more information from law firms concerning their operations and the staff employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum volume of transactions. Many firms have found themselves excluded from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and zero claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms were never going to meet the criteria of volume of transactions the lenders insisted on.

My partner and I are buying our first property. Our conveyancer has e-mailedto ask if we want to order supplemental conveyancing searches. As novices we in the dark as to what's needed for conveyancing in Greater Manchester

The scope of Greater Manchester conveyancing searches depends entirely on the property, the location, the probability of any of these risks, your familiarity of the locality and risks, your general appetite to risk. What matters is that you adequately understand what information each search could give you. Then you can decide if you consider that you need that search. Where you are unsure, ask the property lawyer to guide you.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Greater Manchester. I now require my file but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Greater Manchester of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Given that I will soon spend 450k on a property in Greater Manchester I would like to talk to a conveyancer regarding thehome move prior to instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?

Absolutely - we would be happy to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the conveyancer due to be carrying out your conveyancing in Greater Manchester.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important person, not a file reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for your conveyancing in Greater Manchester should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

I am using a search engine for the phrase conveyancing in Greater Manchester it reveals numerous conveyancersin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for me?

The ideal method of seeking a suitable conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so ask friends and relatives who have purchased a property in Greater Manchester or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Greater Manchester differ, so it's advisable to secure at least three costs illustrations from varying types of companies. Dont forget to clarify that the charges are guaranteed not to rise.