Find a Law Firm
approved by Clydesdale Bank
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Clydesdale Bank list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
Looking for information about your firm's panel status?
How does my firm apply to be on the Clydesdale Bank plc Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Clydesdale Bank plc Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Clydesdale Bank plc Conveyancing Panel
Clydesdale Bank Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers
My mortgage broker has asked me for my solicitor’s panel reference for the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. How do I find this out. I have e-mailed my local Clydesdale Bank office but they have not got back to me yet.
the sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your solicitor. A law firm is likely to keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable their conveyancing panel details for Clydesdale Bank.
Our lawyer has uncovered a defect with the lease for the apartment we are buying. The other side have put forward defective title insurance as a solution. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that as he is on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel he must be satisfied that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is Clydesdale Bank?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and Clydesdale Bank are the client. A precondition to being on the Clydesdale Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Clydesdale Bank). The CML Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that Clydesdale Bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
I have been looking for competitive conveyancing fees. Can I be confident that all the law firms that are listed on your directory are on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel?
The law firms on our directory have advised us that they are on the Clydesdale Bank panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the Clydesdale Bank panel. To date we have not been informed by either a bank or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel is not accurate.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Clydesdale Bank Solicitor panel prior to the completion date?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
My brother and I have had an offer accepted on a flat I spoke to a lawyer recommended by my brother and he advised retaining a solicitor approved by Clydesdale Bank. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Clydesdale Bank if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Clydesdale Bank pointed out that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Clydesdale Bank 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Enquire of Clydesdale Bank for conveyancing panel firms in your area. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Clydesdale Bank’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 225. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Clydesdale Bank panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
At last I have had an offer on an apartment accepted, the seller does however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties booked. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage app going with Clydesdale Bank?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Clydesdale Bank and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.
Other Topics
Transfer of Equity for Clydesdale BankPlease note that Lexsure Ltd is in no way associated with nor affiliated with Lexsure Solicitors