Find a Law Firm
approved by Nationwide BS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Nationwide BS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Looking for information about your firm's panel status?
How does my firm apply to be on the Nationwide Building Society Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Nationwide Building Society Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Nationwide Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Nationwide BS Solicitor Panel Recently Asked Questions
For what reasons would a law firm be removed from the Nationwide BS solicitor panel?
A survey recently commissioned by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority found that three quarters of solicitor practices had been excluded from a lender panel. The most common reasons in order are :
- lack of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Nationwide Building Society
I do hope you can help me. My conveyancer is assuring me that he is legally obliged to conduct a Local Authority search stemming from the fact that the firm are on the Nationwide BS solicitor panel. Is this really necessary?
You have limited options available to you. As you are taking a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of Nationwide BS’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated Nationwide Building Society. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Nationwide BS conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Nationwide Building Society 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 Nationwide BS 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 Nationwide Building Society solicitor panel.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Nationwide BS Conveyancing panel prior to the moving date as agreed at exchange of contracts?
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.
is it true that all solicitor practices on the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Nationwide BS conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
I was thinking of purchasing my friend’s property. Once we agree a price, what’s the best way to move forward? I plan to obtain a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society. Is there anyway to cut out the solicitors to save us both money? My father said that years ago it was possible to take the documents into the local Land Registry office and they did the rest
If you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide BS involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to Nationwide BS. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel.
Completion of my purchase has taken place with a mortgage from Nationwide BS. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about Nationwide Building Society. How do I make a complaint?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the Nationwide BS branches or the Customer Services Team at Nationwide Building Society head office. Ordinarily complaints to Nationwide BS are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is resolved you can write to the
Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.