My partner and I are hoping to buy a flat in Chinatown and are in fact using a Chinatown conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Chelsea Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Chinatown lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?

If you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' lawyers 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 mortgage company and see 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Chinatown solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

As someone not used to the Chinatown conveyancing process what’s the number one tip you can give me for the legal transfer of property in Chinatown

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Chinatown and elsewhere in London is an adversarial experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for conflict between you and others involved in the house moving process. For example, the vendor, selling agent and sometimes a mortgage company. Choosing a lawyer for your conveyancing in Chinatown should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the legal process whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to protect you.

On occasion a third party with a vested interest may try and convince you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the estate agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your lawyer is slow. Or your financial adviser may tell you to do take action that is contrary to your solicitors guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

I require fast conveyancing in Chinatown as I have an ultimatum to complete in less than one month. A home loan is not required. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?

As you are are a mortgage free buyer you have the choice not to do searches although no solicitor would suggest that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Chinatown the following are instances of issues that can appear and adversely affect future mortgageability: Enforcement Actions, Outstanding Charges, Overdue Grants, Road Schemes,...

I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Chinatown. Now, I need the files however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Chinatown of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandmother I am selling a residence in Swansea but I am based in Chinatown. My conveyancer (who is 235 kilometers awayneeds me to sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Chinatown who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are based in Chinatown