My wife and I are refinancing our apartment in Richmond with Skipton. We have a son 18 who lives with us. Our solicitor has asked us to disclose anyone over the age of 17 other than ourselves who reside at the property. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the flat is repossessed. I have a couple of concerns (1) Is this form unique to the Skipton conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we bought 4 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this compromise his rights to inherit the property?

First, rest assured that your Skipton conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Skipton. This is solely used to protect Skipton if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Skipton had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

When looking at consumer advice sites for a high-quality solicitor in Richmond, many post that I should look for a CQS kitemarked lawyer. What is CQS?

Richmond Conveyancing Quality Scheme law firms have achieved accreditation by the law Society CQS was brought about to promote high standards in the in the legal transfer of properties. CQS helps buyers and sellers to recognise solicitor firms who provide a quality residential conveyancing. Richmond is one of locations in England and Wales in which accredited firms are based. The scheme requires law firms to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self-reporting, spot checks and yearly assessments in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Richmond off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Nationwide. 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 have 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 Nationwide, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Richmond. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.

I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Richmond solicitor - who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Richmond surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

I decided to have a survey completed on a house in Richmond ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. My surveyor has said that some banks tend not issue a loan on such a premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Richmond. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Richmond to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.

Whilst your website is a good idea there are many lawyers listed near Richmond being on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a specific firm on the conveyancing panel for our bank?

We are not in the business of recommending one firm above another as the right Richmond conveyancing solicitor for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with Richmond knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. Before you appoint your lawyer we advise you to speak to two or three of the the firms listed to gain comfort as to which one is right for you..