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Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the TogetherPersonal list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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I am selling my house and the EA has just called to say that the buyers are appointing a new conveyancer. I am told that this is due to the fact that Together Personal Finance will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a leading lender only work with specific lawyers?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide , have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.
Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
I am purchasing a brand new flat and my lawyer is telling me that she has to disclose incentives from the seller as her firm is on the Together Personal Finance conveyancing panel. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange contracts and I would rather not prolong matters. 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 Together Personal Finance approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Together Personal Finance). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Do all the firms listed on your search have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Together Personal Finance conveyancing panel?
No. There is no CML Part 2 or Building Society Association requirement relating to online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
The firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Newcastle has without warning shut down. I chose them because I needed a firm on the Together Personal Finance conveyancing panel and my family lawyer was not. I gave them a cheque for £150 in advance. What should be my next steps?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Together Personal Finance conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to help
How can we tell if a solicitor on the Together Personal Finance panel is any good?
seeking recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor conducting your transaction
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Together Personal Finance as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Together Personal Finance conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Together Personal Finance would not normally appoint firms on their conveyancing panel 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 Together Personal Finance panel
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Together Personal Finance. Solicitors have been instructed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Together Personal Finance?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Together Personal Finance conducted the valuation? Have you advised Together Personal Finance as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the Together Personal Finance conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through