I am looking to buy a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Guildford who is on the HSBC Bank conveyancing. Can you recommend a local firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for HSBC Bank in certain locations such as Guildford. We dont recommend any particular firm.

I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in Guildford. Now, I need my files however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Guildford of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How easy is it to switch conveyancer as I have to choose one who is on the Lloyds TSB Bank conveyancing list. I hired a local conveyancing solicitor in Guildford round the corner but she is not approved by Lloyds TSB Bank

It would be our pleasure to help you select a conveyancing solicitor in Guildford on the Lloyds TSB Bank panel. Please note that the solicitors that we work with do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Guildford. In utilising the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Guildford.

We expect to complete our sale of a £325,000 flat in Guildford next Monday. The freeholder has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Guildford?

Guildford conveyancing on leasehold flats often involves the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be willing to assist. They are at liberty to invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is above £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

I invested in buying a split level flat in Guildford, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Guildford with an extended lease are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2082

With just 58 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £23,800 and £27,400 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

My solicitor in Guildford has informed me that he requires ID documents saying that this is part of his obligations as a conveyancer on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. Am I being spun a yarn?

Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require Guildford conveyancing solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Client Care letter that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that the lender also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the lender's UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements