Me and my partner are acquiring a ground floor flat in Halesworth. My property lawyer is not on the bank solicitor list. Am I still permitted to appoint my Halesworth conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the lender approved list?

Various options include

• Carry on with your existing Halesworth solicitor but your lender will undoubtedly instruct a property lawyer on their approved panel. This will result in additional fees and probable delay.
• Get a new conveyancer to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
• Convince your solicitor to apply to join the lender panel

Our lawyer has identified a a problem with the lease for the apartment we are buying in Halesworth. The seller’s lawyers have suggested title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor has advised that he must ensure that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the bank?

Even though you have a mortgage offer from the lender does not mean to say that the property will meet their provisions for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. You and the mortgage company are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to.

If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Halesworth what would it be?

Do not opt for the cheapest Halesworth conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.

I'm the sole recipient of my late grandmother’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Halesworth. The Halesworth property was put into my name in November. I want to move. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', meaning my property ownership could be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the property in November. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be affected by that. Most lenders would take a practical view as this obligation is principally there to capture subsales or the quick reselling of property.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Bank of Ireland, do Halesworth property lawyers incur a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any lender fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

We are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Halesworth and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed a nationwide conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Halesworth. We have lived in Halesworth for 4 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same illness)

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Halesworth. I now require my papers however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate 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 Halesworth of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.