My mortgage broker says he needs my Halkyn law firm’s panel member for the Santander conveyancing panel. Can you suggest how I discover this. I have e-mailed my local Halkyn office but they have not responded to me.

Have you tried speaking to your Halkyn conveyancing practitioner about this?. They should have a central record lender panel numbers.

I am helping my mother sell her house in Halkyn. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange an EPC or do I organise this?

After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy assessments remained a mandatory element of moving house. An energy assessment should be commissioned prior to the property being placed on the market. This is not something that conveyancers normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Halkyn conveyancing solicitor they might be willing to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with reputable local accredited person

Are all Halkyn Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel?

A selection of lenders now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of firms.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Halkyn. I have a mortgage agreed with Coventry BS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Coventry BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel.

I opted to have a survey completed on a house in Halkyn before retaining lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor has said that some banks tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold property.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different requirements from Nationwide. If you call us we can investigate further with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Halkyn. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Halkyn especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Halkyn.

My husband and I are FTB’s - had an offer accepted, but the agent advised that the owners will only issue a contract if we instruct their recommended solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Halkyn

We suspect that the seller is not behind this requirement. Should the vendor require ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated buyer is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you do not need to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you intend to use your own,trusted Halkyn conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will earn the estate agent a referral fee or achieve conveyancing figures set by corporate headquarters.

To what extent are Halkyn conveyancing solicitors under an obligation to the Law Society to issue clear conveyancing figures?

Contained within the Solicitors Code of Conduct are prescriptive rules and regulations as to how the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) allow solicitors to publicise their charges to clients.The Law Society have practice note giving advice on how to publicise transparent charges to avoid breaching any such rule. Practice notes are not legal advice issued by the Law Society and is not to be regarded as the only standard of good practice a conveyancing solicitor should adhere to. The Practice Note does, however, constitute the Law Society’s perspective of acceptable practice for publicising conveyancing charges, and accordingly it’s a recommended read for any solicitor or conveyancer in Halkyn or across England and Wales.