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approved by Santander
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Santander list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Find an Approved Solicitor on the Santander Conveyancing Panel
Santander Conveyancing Panel Recently Asked Questions
My lawyer has never been on on the Santander Solicitor Panel. Can I still retain my preferred solicitor even though they are excluded from the Santander approved list?
You have a number of options available to you here:
- Carry on with your existing solicitors but Santander will need to instruct a lawyer on the Santander conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and potential delay.
- Get a new solicitor to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the Santander conveyancing panel.
- Convince your lawyer to do everything within their powers to join the Santander conveyancing panel
My husband and I are refinancing our flat with Santander. We have a son approaching twenty who lives with us. The solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel has asked us to disclose any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the property is forfeited by the lender. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this document specific to the Santander conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we bought 5 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this giving up his rights to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Santander .This is solely used to protect the Santander if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.
It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Santander had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
How up to date is your search tool for the Santander conveyancing panel? Do Santander send you an updated list?
The law firm practices themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Santander directly.
I am purchasing a semi-detached house and getting a mortgage with Santander. Conveyancing solicitors are said to be ‘a necessary evil’ but can I do it myself?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing you will have to appoint a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to made in you doing to conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on the Santander conveyancing panel in your location.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Santander as we wish to carry out alterations or improvements our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Santander do not ordinarily appoint 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 Santander panel
I have agreed a price on a house I spoke to a conveyancer previously used by my mum and he advised instructing a solicitor approved by Santander. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Santander if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Santander pointed out that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Santander 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Enquire of Santander for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Santander conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Santander conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Santander’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
I have paid off my mortgage with Santander. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Santander panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Santander mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Santander mortgage from the register. Santander,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
but are not moving to another property
where the Santander has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
the Santander has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Santander mortgage has been paid off.