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Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Banks & Clients list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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How does my firm apply to be on the Banks and Clients plc Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Banks and Clients plc Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Banks and Clients plc Conveyancing Panel
Banks and Clients Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers
On what basis could a law firm be excluded from the Banks and Clients solicitor panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been excluded from a lender panel. The most common reasons in order are :
- lack of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Banks and Clients
Our god-son is purchasing a house that has just been built with a mortgage from Banks and Clients. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
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.
I note that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I retain them for my house purchase?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
My solicitors in London have advised me that no longer have 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 prescribed period?
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.
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel?
It is true that some lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Banks and Clients. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event if you are getting a mortgage with Banks and Clients you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel.
My ex -wife’s name is on the Banks and Clients mortgage of my property but not on the land registry. The apartment was transferred to me on our divorce many years ago by way of a sealed court order. Does my ex still have a say on the sale even though the land registry showing the property in my name alone? Will I be required to take her name of the Banks and Clients mortgage in order to sell?
In terms of the Banks and Clients mortgage, it is unusual that your ex-wife’s name remains on the mortgage but not on the title. It is conceivable that this is an oversight on the part of your conveyancers to ensure that her name was removed or even an administrative error on the part of Banks and Clients in failing to update their data. In any event, it should cause difficulty providing her name no longer appears on the Land Registry title and you have a court order ordering that the property is transferred to you.
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Transfer of Equity for Banks and ClientsPlease note that Lexsure Ltd is in no way associated with nor affiliated with Lexsure Solicitors