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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.

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

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

I appointed a firm of solicitors to conduct the legal paperwork on my house purchase six weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with Banks and Clients. The firm confirmed to me that they are on Banks and Clients conveyancing panel and advised me their panel reference. Banks and Clients then told me that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What do I do from here? Do I instruct a different law firm currently on the conveyancing panel for Banks and Clients?
You may be very frustrated with the lawyer but if it only go take a few more days they it may be worth waiting as, depending on how far progressed you are you may end up delaying the transaction by a number of weeks if you need to replace your solicitor You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the Banks and Clients as to the time frame to get your lawyer reinstated on the panel once again.
I am purchasing a newly built flat and my solicitor is advising me that she has to reveal incentives from the developer as her practice is on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel. I am under pressure to exchange and my preference is not to delay matters. Can I insist on an exchange regardless of what my lawyer says about being on the Banks and Clients panel?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Banks and Clients approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Banks and Clients). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Whilst your website is a good idea there are many lawyers listed near Newcastle on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel. It would be a lot more helpful if you could recommend a specific firm on the conveyancing panel for Banks and Clients ?
We are not in the business of recommending one firm above another as the right firm for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with local knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..
My grandfather passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor was left the property. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Banks and Clients , pay off the mortgage etc. Is this possible?
If you intend to re-mortgage then Banks and Clients will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Banks and Clients 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 Banks and Clients 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 Banks and Clients mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Banks and Clients as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Banks and Clients do not ordinarily instruct firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Banks and Clients list
My fiance and I are in the process of viewing apartments and am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a home loan with Banks and Clients
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use 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 , ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have a mortgage with Banks and Clients. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Banks and Clients?
You must advise Banks and Clients before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Banks and Clients’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Banks and Clients will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Banks and Clients directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Banks and Clients conveyancing panel lawyer.