At what point does exchange of contracts occur in purchase conveyancing in Abingdon and am I required to be at the solicitors office?
If you are local to our conveyancing solicitors in Abingdon you are invited in to sign contracts. However, the law practices we work with provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and give as equally diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The signing of the purchase agreement is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract simply enables the solicitor to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a long "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Abingdon)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
We're in Abingdon, FTBs buying with a mortgage (lender is Aldermore , and our lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no solicitor should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
Is it correct that all Abingdon CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the UBS conveyancing list of approved solicitors?
It is true that some lenders now use CQS as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.
My wife and I have organised a further advance on our mortgage from Skipton as we want to conduct alterations to our house in Abingdon. Do we need to select a local Abingdon solicitor on the Skipton conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Skipton would not normally appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Skipton panel.
I am expecting a DIP from Bank of Ireland this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Bank of Ireland recommend any Abingdon solicitors on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Abingdon solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Bank of Ireland through the process.
What does commercial conveyancing in Abingdon cover?
Abingdon conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad range of services, offered by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. For instance, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the assignment of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.
My partner and I are buying a garden flat in Abingdon. When we first instructed property lawyer, they assured us that they were on all mainstream bank panels. The mortgage broker called today to say that they don't appear to be on the Skipton approved list. If it turns out to be true, what should we do? Do we just pick a different lawyer that is on their approved list or do we pay for separate representation, with Skipton appointing their own preferred conveyancing practitioner.
If you are purchasing a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is conventional for the buyer’s lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a conveyancing practitioner has to be on that lender's list of approved lawyers. An application has to be made by the lawyer to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict conditions which the conveyancer has to meet. Some building societies now require their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your conveyancing practitioner should contact Skipton to discover 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on Skipton's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Abingdon solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another conveyancer into the mix.