I am one month into the sale of my apartment in Newbury and the EA has just telephoned to warn that the purchasers are switching property lawyer. The reason given is that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only deal with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Newbury ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

My partner and I are purchasing our first property. The lawyer has messagedto see if we wish to take out additional conveyancing searches. We are really unsure what's relevant for conveyancing in Newbury

The type of Newbury conveyancing searches should be dictated entirely on the premises, the location, the likelihood of any of these risks, your knowledge of the area and risks, your general appetite to risk. What is important is that you adequately comprehend what information the searches could provide. You may then make a decision if you personally think you need that search. Where you are uncertain, ask your solicitor to recommend.

Are the BSA planning on creating a search tool with a view to list solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel for example in Newbury?

We would not expect to be advised of any plans on the part of the BSA to promote such a search facility.

Me and my brother own a renovated Georgian property in Newbury. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Skipton Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Newbury and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

How easy is it to change a solicitor as I need to find a Newbury based one who is on the bank conveyancing panel. Is it advisable to appoint a new law firm?

If you haven't yet appointed a conveyancer to commence the conveyancing and have just received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Newbury that you're thinking of instructing.