Find an Approved Solicitor on the St James Place Bank
Conveyancing Panel
St James Place Solicitor Panel Recently Asked Questions
My fiance and I are first time buyers. Within the 48 hours our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to sign with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. St James Place have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.
In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
Your solicitors should contact St James Place and see if they can apply for membership of the St James Place conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable St James Place will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the St James Place conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
I am purchasing a new build duplex and my conveyancer is advising me that she is duty bound to disclose incentives from the developer as her practice is on the St James Place conveyancing panel. I am on a tight deadline to exchange and I have no desire to prolong the conveyancing. is my lawyer taking the correct approach?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the St James Place approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on St James Place). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
I am looking for conveyancing quotes online. Can I be sure that all the firms that are listed on your directory are on the St James Place conveyancing panel?
The law firms on our directory have assured us via an online form that they are on the St James Place panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the St James Place panel. To date we have not been informed by either a mortgage company or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the St James Place conveyancing panel is not accurate.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the St James Place conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the St James Place 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.
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the St James Place conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is 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 remain on their panels.
is it true that all conveyancing solicitors on the St James Place conveyancing panel overseen by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the St James Place conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
Completion of my purchase has taken place with a loan from St James Place. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about St James Place. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the St James Place branches or the Customer Services Department at St James Place head office. We understand that complaints to St James Place are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.