We are buying a apartment in Dorset. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we have to deposit funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
Is it correct that all Dorset CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel?
A selection of lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. 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 solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.
We are getting the release of further funds on our home loan from Co-operative as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home in Dorset. Do we need to select a high street Dorset solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?
Co-operative would not normally appoint a member of their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Co-operative panel.
My colleague recommended that if I am purchasing in Dorset I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Dorset conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Dorset around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Dorset Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Dorset.
Have completed on a a detached house in Dorset , how long will it take for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing my proprietorship? My Dorset conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be sure the registration is dealt with.
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Dorset registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can adjust according to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any interested persons or bodies. At present roughly 80% of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but occasionally there can be longer hold-ups. Registration is effected after the purchaser has moved in to the property therefore 'speed' is not always an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
Are there any apps to help locate a Dorset law firm on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am prepared to travel upto 20miles to meet the solicitor.
You can use the tool on this website. Please select a lender and your location and you will see a number of Dorset conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Dorset conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can telephone them to check whether they are on the Chelsea Building Society member panel
Am I better off to choose a Dorset conveyancing lawyer based in the vicinity that I am buying? An old friend can deal with the legal formalities but her office is 200miles away.
The primary upside of using a local Dorset conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, hand in your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Dorset know how is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust instructed your friend and on the whole were content that must trump using an unknown Dorset conveyancing solicitor just because they are local.