How do I find the right lawyer to supply a quality service for our conveyancing in Sedgefield?

First ask the people you trust whom they would seek assistance from.

Second, use a comparison service on the web for conveyancing in Sedgefield. Pick up the phone to two or three listed and ask them to forward you their conveyancing estimate and discuss your needs with the solicitor who will handle your conveyancing in advance ofcommitting.

Option 3 is to use this site to assist you in finding the right lawyers for you based on your unique factors including the type of property,deadlines, complexity and who the proposed lender is. Don't take the bait of low cost conveyancing in Sedgefield

My aunt passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Sedgefield. The house had a relatively small loan left on it of around £8000. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Lloyds, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Where you plan to refinance then Lloyds will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Lloyds conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Lloyds mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

We are downsizing from our home in Sedgefield and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers used a national conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Sedgefield. We have lived in Sedgefield for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to get clarification that there is no issue.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You need to 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)

Am I better off to go with a Sedgefield conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? An old friend can carry out the conveyancing but they are based 400kilometers drive away.

The primary upside of using a local Sedgefield conveyancing practice is that you can pop in to execute paperwork, present your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a benefit. However it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and the majority were content that must trump using an unfamiliar Sedgefield conveyancing lawyer just because they are local.

My husband and I are purchasing a three bedroom bungalowin Sedgefield with a residential mortgage from a mortgage company. We like our conveyancer in Sedgefield however our mortgage company advise she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct one of the our bank panel firms or stay with our Sedgefield solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage company home loan offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will on the mortgage company's conveyancing panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had open panels, including almost all conveyancing solicitors in Sedgefield : a mortgagee 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. A further alternative is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.