Me and my fiance are purchasing residence in Vauxhall. My lawyer is not on the bank conveyancing panel. Am I still permitted to appoint my Vauxhall conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the bank approved list?
One must instruct a conveyancer to complete the legal work required if you require a mortgage to buy your property. The lawyer will conduct all the relevant due diligence on the property, make sure that you’re registered as proprietor and ensure that all the required mortgage paperwork is in place. One can instruct a Vauxhall lawyer of your choosing. However, if the conveyancer appointed is not a member of the lender conveyancing panel additional charges will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by them. Bank panel applications can be submitted, so where your conveyancer has not previously sought membership they should do so.
We are about to complete buying a property in Vauxhall but as a consequence of wreckage from a small fire at the property I have was able negotiate reparation from the current proprietors of £3k by way of a adjustment in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of a side agreement but Kent Reliance will not permit this. Should they have been approached?
Your conveyancer being on a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel is required to advise Kent Reliance of any amendments to the purchase price. If you prohibit your lawyer to notify the reduction to Kent Reliance then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Kent Reliance and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Vauxhall.
What happens if my solicitor is removed from the Kent Reliance Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Vauxhall?
The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. 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 at a cost.
My husband and I have organised the release of further monies on our home loan from Nationwide as we want to carry out a loft conversion to our house in Vauxhall. Do we need to choose a local Vauxhall solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Nationwide do not ordinarily require firms on their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide list.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Virgin Money. I assume I don't need a Vauxhall solicitor on the Virgin Money panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Virgin Money mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Virgin Money mortgage from the register. Virgin Money, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Virgin Money has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Virgin Money has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I had an offer accepted on a property in Vauxhall on 23/12/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Skipton and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Skipton to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Do I need to be suspicious by estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting an internet conveyancing firm rather than a local Vauxhall conveyancing company?
As with many service providers, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. But there are numerous people with a vested interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks may suggest lawyers to instruct. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there may be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are free to appoint your own conveyancer. You need to be aware that many lenders specify a panel list of conveyancers you have to use for the lender related work in your home move.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing practitioner in Vauxhall for my house move. Is there any facility to review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?
You can find documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training requirements.