I am selling my home in Meir and the estate agent has just text me to advise that the buyers are changing their property lawyer. The excuse is that the bank will only work with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a major mortgage company only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Meir ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.
Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
I have given 8 weeks notice to my existing landlord and must be out of my let out property in Meir by 30/11/2026. Conveyancing for my house purchase is progressing. Can I complete in six weeks as I wish to avoid having to find short term accommodation?
The normal practice is not to serve notice on a rental unless exchange of contracts has taken place. Assuming that you have not previously done so, update to your lawyer and urge them to they seek the assistance the sellers side, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will aim to achieve
we are a couple who intend to purchase a 1 bedroom apartment in Meir with a homeloan from Barclays Direct.We would like to retain our Meir conveyancing practitioner but Barclays Direct advised that his firm is not on their "panel". We have to appoint a Barclays Direct panel lawyer or retain our high street solicitor and fork out for a Barclays Direct panel lawyer to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Barclays Direct use our lawyer?
No, not really. The home loan issued to you is subject to its various provisions, one of which will be that conveyancers will be on the Barclays Direct solicitor panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barclays Direct
I am assisting my step-mother sell her flat in Meir. Will the conveyancing solicitor order the energy performance certificate or do I organise this?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was left as a mandatory element of selling a house. An EPC must be to hand before the property is marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers ordinarily organise. If you are instructing a Meir conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established local providers
We are getting the release of further funds on our mortgage from TSB as we intend to carry out a loft conversion to our home in Meir. Are we obliged to appoint a bricks and mortar Meir solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?
TSB don't usually instruct a member of their approved list of lawyers to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the TSB panel.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Meir on 2/9/2026, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer appointed, so all that was missing 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. Can the lender hold off the offer?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer 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.
A relative recommended that where I am buying in Meir I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is usually quoted for as part of the standard Meir conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Meir around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Meir.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Meir. Now, I need the documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Meir of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.