My husband and I are looking to purchase a house in Honiton and are in fact using a Honiton conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Lloyds TSB Bank have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Honiton conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Honiton lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

My husband and I are purchasing a new build flat in Honiton and my conveyancer is telling me that she has to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the seller. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to exchange contracts and I have no desire to prolong the conveyancing. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

In reviewing consumer advice sites for an online lawyer in Honiton, most say that I should look for a CQS assured lawyer. Can you explain what CQS is?

Honiton Conveyancing Quality Scheme practices have obtained certification by the law Society The Law Society created CQS to establish evidence of quality standards in the home buying process. CQS helps buyers and sellers to recognise practices that provide a quality residential conveyancing. Honiton is one of the many areas in England and Wales in which accredited firms have offices. The scheme obliges law firms to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self-certification, random audits and annual reviews in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

I am buying a new build house in Honiton with a mortgage from Accord Mortgages Ltd. The sellers would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not disclose to my conveyancer about this deal as it could affect my mortgage with Accord Mortgages Ltd. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

We are a fortnight into a residential purchase having been recommend to solicitors by the local agent to do our conveyancing in Honiton. I am not happy. Could you help me find new solicitors?

They would have to be really bad to suggest diss instructing them. Has your loan offer been sent? In the event that it has you need to inform them of the new contact details and have the loan are issued to the new lawyers. Your new conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid added charges and frustration. So that should be your starting point. The search tool can help you find a bank approved solicitor for your home move in Honiton