FAQs : The ASTRA mortgages Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I was advised recently by my mortgage adviser that my property lawyer is not on the ASTRA mortgages Solicitor panel. What can I do to check?
The best course of action for you to take is to contact your conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the conveyancing panel for ASTRA mortgages.
Can you help?. For no fault of my lawyer but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from ASTRA mortgages was date stamped random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on Tues etc. My lawyer informs me that as she is on the ASTRA mortgages conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are no longer acceptable to the lender.
A precondition to being on the ASTRA mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on ASTRA mortgages)which specifies that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to ASTRA mortgages.
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the ASTRA mortgages conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the ASTRA mortgages approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the ASTRA mortgages conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the ASTRA mortgages solicitor panel.
I was due to move into my first house yesterday. My lawyer’s firm is on the ASTRA mortgages solicitors panel but has changed address in the past couple of months and had not informed ASTRA mortgages of their new address. ASTRA mortgages has locked down the release of mortgage funds until such time as their systems are up to date with the correct details.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. The majority of lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local ASTRA mortgages branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.
Do conveyancing solicitors on the ASTRA mortgages conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
On the whole there are 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 service
Hi, thinking about buying a house off my mate. Once we agree a price, what’s the best way to move forward? I hope to get a mortgage with ASTRA mortgages. Is there anyway to cut out the solicitors to save us both money? My father said that years ago it was possible to take the documents into the local Land Registry office and they did the rest
If you are getting a mortgage with ASTRA mortgages involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the ASTRA mortgages conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to ASTRA mortgages. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the ASTRA mortgages conveyancing panel.
I have had an offer accepted on a apartment I spoke to a lawyer recommended by my dad and he suggested using a law firm approved by ASTRA mortgages. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked ASTRA mortgages if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. ASTRA mortgages 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 ASTRA mortgages 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask ASTRA mortgages 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 ASTRA mortgages 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 ASTRA mortgages conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet ASTRA mortgages’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.