Find an Approved Solicitor on the Clydesdale Bank plc
Conveyancing Panel
Q and A’s regarding the Clydesdale Bank Conveyancing Panel
My wife and I are FTBs. Within the last couple of days our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Clydesdale Bank have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's 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 Accreditation Scheme.
Your property lawyers should contact Clydesdale Bank and see if they can apply for membership of the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Clydesdale Bank will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Please help. My solicitor is assuring me that he has to order a Local Authority search stemming from the fact that the firm are on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. Do I not have a choice here?
You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with Clydesdale Bank your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of Clydesdale Bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated Clydesdale Bank. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Clydesdale Bank approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the Clydesdale Bank solicitor panel.
My conveyancers in Birmingham have advised me that they can not locate my conveyancing file. At the time of my purchase I took out a mortgage with Clydesdale Bank. Is it case that being on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a prescribed period?
Different lenders have different requirements but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the Clydesdale Bank Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Clydesdale Bank directly.
How can we tell if a solicitor on the Clydesdale Bank panel is any good?
obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction
We have had an offer accepted on a flat I spoke to a solicitor previously used by my brother and he advised using a solicitor approved by Clydesdale Bank. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Clydesdale Bank if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Clydesdale Bank suggested that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Clydesdale Bank 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Enquire of Clydesdale Bank for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Most banks have lawyers on their panel throughout the UK. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Clydesdale Bank’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
Can I register a complaint to Clydesdale Bank about the lawyers being on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to Clydesdale Bank. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is addressed by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.