Find an Approved Solicitor on the The Mortgage Works
Conveyancing Panel
Common questions asked concerning the The Mortgage Works Solicitor Panel
I am progressing with the sale of my house and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are appointing a new property lawyer. The excuse is that The Mortgage Works will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only work with specific solicitors?
Banks have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.
Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be 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 hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
My wife and I changing mortgage lender for our flat with The Mortgage Works. We have a son approaching twenty who lives with us. The solicitor on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel requested us to identify 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 apartment is repossessed. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this document specific to the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we bought 3 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong 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 The Mortgage Works .This is solely used to protect the The Mortgage Works 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 The Mortgage Works 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.
Are there any apps to help find a local solicitor on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel up to 10 kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the find a conveyancing panel search on this website. 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 The Mortgage Works solicitor panel.
We're in Birmingham, FTBs purchasing with a mortgage (lender is The Mortgage Works , but our solicitor is on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a time-frame for your conveyancing due to third parties outside of our control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain
Is it the case that all conveyancing lawyers on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
There is generally no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a ‘gatekeeper’). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package
My husband and I are at the point of viewing flats and now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I intend to finance via a mortgage with The Mortgage Works
It would be sensible to have your start your search soon rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with The Mortgage Works , ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
Can I register a complaint to The Mortgage Works about the lawyers being on the The Mortgage Works conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to The Mortgage Works. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. Usually one can find this information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.
The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is addressed by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.
If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.