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FAQs : The Leek BS Solicitor Panel
I have been advised by my broker that I have to pay Leek BS fees should I instruct my family lawyer. How efficient are the Leek BS conveyancing panel solicitors? I dont care which law firm I use as long as they're good and reasonably priced. Would you recommend a specific law firm on the Leek BS panel?
Leek BS’s conveyancing panel is pretty large so your best bet is just to check with the firms you are getting quotes from that they are on the panel. You can search by postcode on the search tool on this site to find solicitors that Leek BS will allow to act for them.
Our solicitor has uncovered a problem with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a solution. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our lawyer says that as he is on the Leek BS conveyancing panel he must ensure that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is Leek BS?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and Leek BS are the client. A precondition to being on the Leek BS approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Leek BS). The CML Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that Leek BS can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . 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.
Are there any apps to help find a local solicitor on the Leek BS conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 25 miles to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of 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 Leek BS solicitor panel.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Leek BS Solicitor panel before the completion date?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
I had instructed online conveyancers located in Manchester who are on the Leek BS solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate fee of £135 for dealing with the Leek BS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Leek BS?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Leek BS but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Leek BS will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of firms include it on their overall fee.
Can I register a complaint to Leek BS about the lawyers being on the Leek BS conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to Leek BS. Every solicitor firm 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.
My offer on house has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What should be my next step? At what point should I appy for the mortgage with Leek BS?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Leek BS conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Leek BS and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.
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