Is the fact that my solicitor in Swansea is not identified on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of her conveyancing?
That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (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 Swansea conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
Can the conveyancing solicitors that you recommend conduct conveyancing in Swansea by way of an attended exchange?
There are a few conveyancing experts who can conduct attended exchanges. Please contact us to get a costs illustration and details as to availability.
As someone not used to conveyancing in Swansea what’s your top tip you can give me concerning the ownership transfer in Swansea
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Swansea or throughout England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for conflict between you and others involved in the transaction. For example, the vendor, estate agent and on occasion the lender. Choosing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Swansea an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the legal process whose responsibility is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.
Every so often a potential adversary may attempt to persuade you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by suggesting your conveyancer is wrong. Or your mortgage broker may advise you to do something that is against your solicitors advice. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the home moving process.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is expelled from the TSB Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Swansea?
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 to 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 a 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 for a fee.
I am purchasing a new build house in Swansea with a loan from HSBC Bank. The developers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The house builders rep told me not reveal to my lawyer about the extras as it will jeopardize my loan with HSBC Bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Do I need to be suspicious that estate agents that I am dealing with are recommending an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Swansea conveyancing practice?
As is the case with lots of service providers, often suggestions from relatives can be worth their weight in gold. But there are numerous people with a keen interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders might all put forward solicitors to choose. On occasion the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the discretion to select your preferred lawyer. You need to be aware that some mortgage providers specify a panel list of lawyers you are obliged to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.