I am nearing exchange of contracts for my maisonette in Bruton and the estate agent has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are changing their property lawyer. The excuse is that the bank will only work with solicitors on their approved list. Why would a big named lender only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Bruton ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise 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 not going to have any impact on this.

I am purchasing a brand new duplex in Bruton and my lawyer is telling me that she is duty bound to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the seller. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to exchange and I don't want to delay matters. is my lawyer playing by the book?

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

I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Bruton for our home move. Our broker informed us that our bank TSB won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

A bank may direct that a panel conveyancer act for it. Borrowers are liable to bear the cost of this. Do use our search facility to choose a solicitor to carry conveyancing in Bruton on the TSB conveyancing panel.

Hoping to buy a property located in Bruton and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Bruton. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Bruton area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?

Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Bruton. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found

I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in Bruton. I need to find out if they are on the bank's conveyancing panel. Could you help?

You should call your lawyer to enquire if they are on the lender's panel. If that does not help call us and we can make some checks for you. Should the firm not be on the lender panel we we can help find a specialist conveyancing solicitor in Bruton on the panel for your lender.