Find a Law Firm
approved by Bluestone Mortgages
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Bluestone Mortgages list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Find an Approved Solicitor on the Bluestone Mortgages Conveyancing Panel
Examples of recent questions relating to the Bluestone Mortgages Solicitor Panel
My husband and I are purchasing a 3 bedroom flat in Leeds with a mortgage from Bluestone Mortgages. We would like to retain our lawyer but Bluestone Mortgages says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the Bluestone Mortgages panel firms or keep our 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?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower 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. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Bluestone Mortgages
My solicitor has discovered a discrepancy when comparing the information in Bluestone Mortgages’s valuation report and what is revealed within the legal papers for the property. My solicitor informs me that as he is on the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel he needs to ensure that the bank is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my solicitor’s course or action appropriate?
A precondition to being on the Bluestone Mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Bluestone Mortgages) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
Do all the firms listed on your search have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders or BSA do not require online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
Do the majority of lenders operate their own panel of solicitors?
Many lenders do operate a restricted conveyancing panel but a lot of lenders allow any solicitors to join their panel so long as they meet their criteria. Each lender sets their own criteria. For example the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel requirements are different to Bluestone Mortgages’s conveyancing panel criteria.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Bluestone Mortgages as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Bluestone Mortgages do not ordinarily instruct a member of 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 Bluestone Mortgages list
I have a mortgage with Bluestone Mortgages. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Bluestone Mortgages?
Bluestone Mortgages must be informed of your intention before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bluestone Mortgages’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies 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 Bluestone Mortgages directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Bluestone Mortgages conveyancing panel lawyer.