Find a Law Firm approved by Banks & Clients

Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Halifax list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.

Find a Law Firm approved by Banks & Clients
Find a Law Firm approved by Banks & Clients

Find an Approved Solicitor on the Banks and Clients plc Conveyancing Panel

Q and A’s regarding the Banks and Clients Conveyancing Panel

My fiance and I are first time buyers. Within the 48 hours our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to sign with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Banks and Clients have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.

In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyers should contact Banks and Clients and see if they can apply for membership of the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Banks and Clients will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

My god-son is about to exchange on a new build apartment with a mortgage from Banks and Clients. His lawyer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested.

The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.

The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

What tools are available to search for a local solicitor on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 25 miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use the find a conveyancing panel search on this page. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the Banks and Clients solicitor panel.
My lawyers in Newcastle have advised me that they can not locate my conveyancing file. At the time of my purchase I took out a mortgage with Banks and Clients. Is it case that being on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a number of years?
Different lenders have different requirements but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the Banks and Clients Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Banks and Clients directly.
Hi, thinking about buying a house off my mate. Once we agree a price, what’s the best way to move forward? I plan to obtain a mortgage with Banks and Clients. Is there anyway to cut out the solicitors to save us both money? My father said that years ago it was possible to take the documents into the local Land Registry office and they did the rest
If you are getting a mortgage with Banks and Clients involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to Banks and Clients. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel.
My husband and I are spending time looking at apartments and now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I I am planning to take a mortgage with Banks and Clients
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Banks and Clients , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel.
Can I register a complaint to Banks and Clients about the lawyers being on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to Banks and Clients. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.

The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.

If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.

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