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approved by First Trust Bank

Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the First Trust Bank 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 First Trust Bank Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the First Trust Bank Conveyancing Panel?

Find an Approved Solicitor on the First Trust Bank Conveyancing Panel

FAQs for the First Trust Bank Solicitor Panel

On what basis could a firm of solicitors be excluded from the First Trust Bank approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been removed from a lender panel. The most common reasons in order are :
  1. lack of transactions
  2. the lawyer is a sole practitioner
  3. as part of the HSBC panel reduction
  4. regulatory contact by SRA
  5. accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by First Trust Bank
Can you clarify something for me?. My lawyer is not to blame but, my purchase conveyancing has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from First Trust Bank was date stamped random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6 months + 3. My lawyer has advised that as she is on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel she needs to reorder the searches as they are no longer valid.
One of the many conditions to being on the First Trust Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on First Trust 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 First Trust Bank.
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the First Trust Bank approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the First Trust Bank conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the First Trust Bank solicitor panel.
We're in London, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is First Trust Bank , but our lawyer is on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a time-frame for your conveyancing due to third parties outside of our control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain
Do conveyancing solicitors on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
On the whole 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 service
I am buying a property where the roof has a solar panel. First Trust Bank have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As your lender is First Trust Bank your lawyer must to check the First Trust Bank conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for First Trust Bank . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to First Trust Bank where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. Requirements for Scotland are due in the near future.
Planning on purchasing a house with a mortgage with First Trust Bank. I have received an online quote from a licensed conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that they are on the First Trust Bank conveyancing panel

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