I am selling my maisonette in Beadnell and the estate agent has just text me to say that the purchasers are changing their law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major lender only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Beadnell ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in recent years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Lenders justify this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms 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.

The Beadnell conveyancing solicitors that I recently instructed on my purchase in Beadnell have without warning closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a firm on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel and my previous Beadnell lawyer was not. I sent them a cheque for £250 in advance. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to assist.

I am buying a new build flat in Beadnell. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Beadnell

The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Please supply a car parking plan. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

I am looking to sell my property. My previous lawyers have shut. I would be grateful for any recommendation of a conveyancing firm. Im based in Beadnell if that makes a difference.

Do use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Beadnell. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes smoothly.

My partner and I are buying a ground floor flat in Beadnell. At the point of instructing our conveyancing practitioner, they told us that they were on all major UK bank panels. Our financial adviser emailed yesterday to advise that they are not on the Lloyds approved list. Should that be true, what should we do? Do we simply find a new conveyancing practitioner that is on their approved list or should we pay for separate representation, with Lloyds selecting their own preferred property lawyer.

Where you are acquiring a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchaser’s lawyers to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a lawyer has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the conveyancer to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict conditions which the conveyancer has to satisfy. Some building societies now require their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your lawyer should contact Lloyds to discover if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on Lloyds's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Beadnell solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.