I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Lloyds. I would like to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in Northumberland. Does the Lloyds Conveyancing panel exclude Licensed Conveyancers?

The Lloyds approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I am purchasing a house without a mortgage in Northumberland. I have been residing for the previous 20 years in Northumberland. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. As I have knowledge of the area and road very well should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?

If you not getting a mortgage, then all but one or two of the Northumberland conveyancing searches are non-obligatory. Your lawyer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches carried out, but she has a professional duty to take that path of guidance. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to dispose of the house at a future date, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches reveal. Sometimes premises with no practical issues can still throw up unpredicted search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Northumberland will provide you some helpful guidance here.

How up to date is your database of Northumberland solicitors on the Santander conveyancing panel? Do Santander send you an updated list?

Northumberland conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Santander directly.

What happens if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Virgin Money Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Northumberland?

The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.

I am due to consider quotes for conveyancing in Northumberland from numerous property lawyer and appoint one. Am I right to get them to sit tight until I a suitable apartment to buy.

We would recommend that you only ask your solicitor to start work and submit searches once the offer has been agreed to on the property particularly as Northumberland conveyancing searches are a couple of hundred pounds.