I am progressing with the sale of my flat in Stonehouse and the estate agent has just called to warn that the buyers are swapping property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named mortgage company only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Stonehouse ?

Banks have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Banks justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms 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 buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

I am acquiring a newly built flat in Stonehouse and my conveyancer is informing me that she has to the lender to disclose incentives from the builder. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange and I don't want to delay deal. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Stonehouse I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Stonehouse in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?

If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

I'm converting the mortgage on my primary property to a buy to let mortgage with Aldermore and intend to use the remaining equity towards further property. The area we are looking at is Stonehouse. Will your conveyancers be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and link together the conveyances?

Make use of our search tool on this site to be sure that the solicitors are on the relevant lender panels. On the basis that they are the lawyer should be able to connect the two deals but you should have a chat with you solicitor and make apparent your expectations and requirements.

I need to swap lawyers as my Stonehouse lawyer is not on the lender's approved list of conveyancing solicitors. How simple is it to change conveyancer?

If you haven't yet instructed a conveyancer to start work and have just received an estimate as to costs, 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 Stonehouse that you're considering.