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Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the AtomBank list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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How does my firm apply to be on the Atom Bank plc Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Atom Bank plc Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Atom Bank plc Conveyancing Panel
Atom Bank Conveyancing Panel Example Support Desk Enquires
I was advised recently by my financial adviser that my lawyer is not on the Atom Bank Solicitor panel. How can I be sure that this is correct?
You need to contact your conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the conveyancing panel for Atom Bank.
Please assist. For no fault of my lawyer but, my purchase conveyancing has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Atom Bank was date stamped random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on Tues etc. My lawyer says that as she is on the Atom Bank conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are no longer acceptable to the lender.
One of the many conditions to being on the Atom Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Atom Bank)which specifies that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Atom Bank.
How up to date is your database of lawyers on the Atom Bank conveyancing panel? Do Atom Bank send you an updated list?
The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Atom Bank conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Atom Bank directly.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Atom Bank Conveyancing panel prior to the completion date?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
Do conveyancing lawyers on the Atom Bank conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
In the main there are no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a ‘gatekeeper’). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package
I had instructed online solicitors based in Manchester who are on the Atom Bank solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate fee of £150 for dealing with the Atom Bank mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Atom Bank?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Atom Bank but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Atom Bank will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
Can I register a complaint to Atom Bank about the lawyers being on the Atom Bank conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to Atom Bank. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.
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Transfer of Equity for Atom BankPlease note that Lexsure Ltd is in no way associated with nor affiliated with Lexsure Solicitors