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approved by Family BS
Ready to buy a new home? Failing to check that a lawyer is on the Family BS list of approved solicitors can put your transaction at risk of delay or failure.
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How does my firm apply to be on the Family Building Society Conveyancing Panel? How can my firm be reinstated onto the Family Building Society Conveyancing Panel?Find an Approved Solicitor on the Family Building Society Conveyancing Panel
Examples of recent questions relating to the Family Building Society Solicitor Panel
My Solicitor has never been on on the Family Building Society Approved Panel. Is it possible for me to retain my preferred solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the Family Building Society panel?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a Family Building Society mortgage to buy your property. They’ll carry out all the necessary legal checks on the property, make sure that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is in place. You can instruct a conveyancing firm of your choice. However, if the firm selected is not a member of the Family Building Society conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by Family Building Society. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
My god-son is in the process of securing a new build apartment with a home loan from Family Building Society. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked.
The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.
The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Family Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
Are there any apps to help find a local solicitor on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 20 miles to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the find a conveyancing panel search on this page. Please choose the lender and your location and you will see a number of lawyer located nearest you. Alternatively you can type in the name of your proposed law firm and see if they are listed as being on the Family Building Society solicitor panel.
What happens if my solicitor is suspended from the Family Building Society Solicitor panel before completion?
The first thing to point out is that, 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.
I can not work out if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date . I have called Family Building Society on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Family Building Society. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Family Building Society will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask Family Building Society to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My mortgage broker suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the Family Building Society 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 Family Building Society 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.
I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed
to by Family Building Society. Is it usual for Family Building Society to only issue the offer once my
solicitor is approved on their conveyancing panel?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Family Building Society to deal with your lawyers application to be on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.