I am progressing with the sale of my maisonette in West Derby and the estate agent has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are switching solicitor. The excuse is that the bank will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in West Derby ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for over 25 years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened 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 says it is being contacted daily by practices 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. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in West Derby what would it be?

We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest West Derby conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of the deal.

Is it correct that all West Derby CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the conveyancing panel?

It is true that some lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives 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 solicitor practices wishing to join their panels.

I have paid off my mortgage with . I assume I don't need a West Derby on the panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the mortgage from the register. , and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in West Derby. Now, I need my documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in West Derby of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

I am a sole trader intending to take over a lease of an office on the high street. Can you recommend conveyancers offering fixed charges for commercial conveyancing in West Derby for less than £2000?

We can recommend firms who have specialist knowledge of commercial conveyancing in West Derby, including the sale and purchase of businesses as well as simply premises. Whether you are intending to purchase or lease a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a whole business we will find you the right lawyer. As for the fees these will vary based on the structure and terms of the proposed transaction. Please provide us with your contact information or email so as to enable us to provide you with a detailed commercial conveyancing quote.

I invested in buying a 1 bedroom flat in West Derby, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar properties in West Derby with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 50

You have 50 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.