Bank of Ireland Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This software is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Bank of Ireland’s changes. Notwithstanding that utilising the software is not a condition for being on the Bank of Ireland panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Bank of Ireland’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor generates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for some firms, results in a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Bank of Ireland

Mortgage companies frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Bank of Ireland are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, over time:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Bank of Ireland has made 175 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 15.6 days. In total, 27% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Bank of Ireland have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
5.14.1 03/10/2017 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc approved lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : minimum unexpired lease term
6.7.1 19/06/2017 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
5.14.11 18/11/2016 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc approved lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : acceptability of indemnity insurance where the terms of the lease are unsatisfactory
Defective Lease Indemnity Insurance
16.3.2 15/11/2016 CML
Transfer of Equity
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc details for requesting debt amount
16.5.2 15/11/2016 CML
Deed of Variation
Contact details at Bank of Ireland (UK) plc for conveyancing panel lawyers for confirming proposed deed of variation or agreement will not adversely affect Bank of Ireland (UK) plc
16.5.3a 15/11/2016 CML
Deed of Variation
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc requirements for approved lawyers as to whether Bank of Ireland (UK) plc need to be sent a Deed of Variation
3.1.4 01/12/2014 CML
details of the seller's solicitors or licensed conveyancers
6.14.2 01/12/2014 CML
requirement that all insurance risks are included
6.14.3 01/12/2014 CML
notification of non-renewal/cancellation for buildings insurance policy
6.7.1 01/12/2014 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes

Last update 25/01/2020

FAQs for the Bank of Ireland Solicitor Panel from members of the public

Much to my surprise I have been told by my mortgage adviser that my lawyer is not on the Bank of Ireland Solicitor panel. What can I do to check?
You need to contact your lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for Bank of Ireland.
can you help? My solicitor is informing me me that he is legally obliged to order a Local Authority search stemming from the fact that the firm are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Is this really necessary?
You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with Bank of Ireland your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of Bank of Ireland’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated Bank of Ireland. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
I am planning to acquire a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Newcastle who is on the Bank of Ireland solicitor. Can you recommend a local solicitor?
Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Bank of Ireland . We don’t recommend any particular firm.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Bank of Ireland Solicitor panel before completion?
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.
Can you point me to a directory of Bank of Ireland panel conveyancers on the CML Handbook Website?
No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.
How can we tell if a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland panel is any good?
Getting recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the solicitor handling your transaction
After shopping around on the internet I have found a solicitor having made sure that they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property? Or Having read lots of house buying,I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller. or Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.