Me and my fiance are buying a 1 bedroom flat in Minera with a mortgage. We like our Minera lawyer, but the bank says she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to appoint one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or continue with our Minera solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Minera conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

My wife and I are refinancing our penthouse in Minera with UBS. We have a son 19 who lives with us. Our solicitor requested us to identify any adults other than ourselves who lives in the flat. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the flat is repossessed. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this form unique to the UBS conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we purchased 5 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to UBS. This is solely used to protect UBS if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of UBS had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Minera. Now, I need my documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact 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 Minera 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.

I am buying a new build flat in Minera. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Minera

The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal.

Taking into account that I will soon spend £400,000 on a property in Minera I wish to have a conversation with the conveyancer concerning theconveyancing in advance of appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

This is something that we recommend - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the conveyancer due to be carrying out your conveyancing in Minera.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique person, not a case reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Minera should be the figure that you are charged.