My husband and I are planning to acquire a home in Highcliffe and have appointed a Highcliffe conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. The Royal Bank of Scotland have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Highcliffe conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?

When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' 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 Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Highcliffe solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

My son is buying a house that has just been built in Highcliffe with a mortgage from RBS. His conveyancer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

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 RBS 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 RBS conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I am considering applying for a Clydesdale mortgage for purchase of a newly converted (under development) in Highcliffe with 70% LTV. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale ?

In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, but Clydesdale would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.

is it true that all Highcliffe solicitor practices on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Kent Reliance approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Highcliffe off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Barclays. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Coventry BS are being difficult. The Highcliffe solicitor who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Coventry BS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Coventry BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Coventry BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Coventry BS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

At long last a loan offer from a mortgage company for the remortgage of my 2 bedroom maisonette is coming imminently. Could you recommend an efficient remortgage conveyancing law firm in Highcliffe ?

This site is not designed to help in pursuit of a cheap conveyancing in Highcliffe. Our aim is to provide value for money conveyancing but we do not work with the cheapest lawyers. Resist the temptation to appoint brokers offering £99 conveyancing in Highcliffe.At best, in going for cheap conveyancing, you will get what you pay for and at worst you will end up paying a lot in extras and still not get the service you were hoping for.