Is the fact that my solicitor in Castleford is not on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
That would more than likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal 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. Where you are concerned you should simply call the Castleford conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
How up to date is your search tool for Castleford conveyancing solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel? Do Aldermore send you an updated list?
Castleford conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Aldermore directly.
My husband and I are hoping to buy a purpose built flat in Castleford with a homeloan from Barclays Direct.We have a Castleford conveyancing lawyer but Barclays Direct informed us his firm is not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct a Barclays Direct panel solicitor or keep our high street solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The loan issued to you contains various provisions, one of which will be that conveyancers will be on the Barclays Direct approved list. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barclays Direct
When it comes to lenders such as HSBC, do Castleford property lawyers have to pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
I can not fathom if my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Castleford building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Castleford conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend in accordance with their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.
Your conveyancing practitioner must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 specifications for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Castleford on 24/10/2025, valuation was booked five days later, all came back fine. Property lawyer retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Nationwide and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Are Nationwide entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Nationwide to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
My colleague recommended that where I am buying in Castleford I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Castleford conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Castleford around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Castleford Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Castleford.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Castleford before instructing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders will refuse to grant a mortgage on this type of house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you call us we can look into this further via the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Castleford. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Castleford to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.