My partner and I are looking to purchase a property in Woolavington and have instructed a Woolavington conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Halifax have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Woolavington solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is standard 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 Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Woolavington solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
Can the conveyancing practitioners to be found on your site carry out auction conveyancing in Woolavington?
We know of a few niche solicitors we can put you in touch with those who can conduct auction conveyancing. Woolavington is one of hundreds of locations where our lawyers are based.
When will exchange of contracts happen for domestic conveyancing in Woolavington and am I required to be at the conveyancers branch?
Where you are local to our conveyancing solicitors in Woolavington you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. That being said, the law practices we work with offer a national conveyancing service and give as equally detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The executing of the contract is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the firm to address the formalities when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Woolavington)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
I am in the process of refinancing my apartment in Woolavington, does my lawyer need to be on the RBS Conveyancing panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but RBS will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
Is it simple use the search facility to choose a conveyancing solicitor in Woolavington on the authorised to act for my mortgage?
Step one is to choose a bank such as National Westminster Bank, Bank of Scotland or Clydesdale then specify your location for instance Woolavington. Conveyancing practices in Woolavington and beyond should be listed.