I am nearing exchange of contracts for my house in Cranford and the estate agent has just called to advise that the buyers are appointing a new law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only work with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Cranford ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for over 25 years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Our god-son is buying a newly built flat in Cranford with a mortgage from . His conveyancer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Can your site be used to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Cranford even where I’m not buying or selling a house, for example if I intend to buy an office in Cranford with a loan from ?

The service is mainly utilised to find residential conveyancing solicitors in Cranford but we have listed at the bottom of this page some Cranford commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to speak with the solicitors directly to see if they are also authorised to represent

I am helping my step-mother sell her flat in Cranford. Does the solicitor commission the EPC or should I organise this?

After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments remained a mandatory part of moving property. An energy assessment should be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. It is not something that law firms ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a Cranford conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with long established local energy assessors

Are all Cranford Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

It is true that some lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme 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 CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.

I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by . Is it usual for to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Cranford is approved on their conveyancing panel? have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Hoping to buy a property located in Cranford and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Cranford. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Cranford area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Cranford. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found