I am progressing with the sale of my flat in Church End and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are changing their law firm. The reason given is that the lender will only work with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading lender only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Church End ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say 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 are unaware that 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 unlikely to have any impact on this.

In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Church End? Is this really necessary?

In order to comply with Money Laundering Regulations any Church End conveyancing firm will require evidence of your identity in all conveyancing matters. This is normally dealt with by provision of a passport and an original bank statement or utility account showing your correct address.

In accordance with Money Laundering Regulations, conveyancers are obliged by law to validate not just the ID of conveyancing clients but also the origin of the money that they receive in respect of any matter. Refusal to disclose this may result in your solicitor terminating their retainer with you, as clearly this will cause a conflict between the set Regulations and a refusal to disclose.

Your conveyancers will have an obligation to notify the relevant authorities should they consider that any amounts received by them may contravene the Money Laundering Regulations.

I was pointed in your direction by a number of property agents in Church End to choose a property lawyer on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to promote your services over and above a competitor’s?

We don’t offer any referral fee for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I am using a search engine for the term cheap conveyancing in Church End it reveals numerous solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for my move?

The ideal way of seeking the right conveyancer is via trusted referral, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Church End or the local estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Church End differ, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of four quotes from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the fees are fixed.

How up-to-date is your database of lawyers on the lender conveyancing panel in Church End? Do the lenders send you an updated list?

Church End firms and firms conducting conveyancing in Church End themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the bank conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from the lender directly.