Banks and Clients Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers such as AmTrust. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Banks and Clients’s changes. While using this technology is not a condition for being on the Banks and Clients panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Banks and Clients’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, protect your panel status.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates 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, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Banks and Clients

Lenders frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Banks and Clients 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, Banks and Clients has made 1 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 2730.0 days. In total, 0% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Banks and Clients 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
6.14.1 30/11/2015 CML
Building Insurance
Banks and Clients plc panel lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance

Last update 30/03/2020

FAQs : The Banks and Clients Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

I would like to know the reason why all solicitors are not on the Banks and Clients Conveyancing panel?
As unjust as it may seem for Banks and Clients to restrict who can act for them from the public’s or solicitor’s point of view, the other side of the coin is that the lenders are becoming ever more anxious and feel the necessary need to protect them from mortgage fraud and other illegal activities. As a result of this concern Banks and Clients are limiting their panel of approved conveyancing lawyers to a manageable size. The Banks and Clients conveyancing panel is not the most restricted
Our conveyancer has identified a problem with the lease for the property we are buying. The other side have offered title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor has advised that as he is on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is Banks and Clients?
Just because you have a mortgage offer from Banks and Clients does not mean to say that the property will be meet their requirements for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the CML Handbook Requirements. You and Banks and Clients are the client. The appropriate lender requirements must be adhered to by the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel who has to balance acting for you and Banks and Clients
Do all the licensed conveyancers and solicitor practices listed on your directory have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Banks and Clients solicitor panel?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders or BSA do not require online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
My conveyancers in Birmingham have advised me that no longer have my conveyancing file. To assist with my purchase I took out a mortgage with Banks and Clients. Is it case that being on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel they need to have retained the file for a number of years?
Different lenders have different requirements but many of the Terms and Conditions of Conveyancing Panel Appointment require the file to be held for a period of 6 years. That being said we have not seen a copy of the Banks and Clients Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Banks and Clients directly.
In what circumstances might Banks and Clients amend or withdraw their mortgage offer?
Banks and Building Societies such as Banks and Clients can withdraw their mortgage offer although this is unusual. If Banks and Clients withdraw their offer they may or may not inform you or the lawyer as to their reasoning. There are many potential reasons but here are a number of examples:
  • If the borrower informs Banks and Clients of a change in the loan amount agreed
  • A cashback to the buyer, or | part of the price includes a non-cash incentive to the buyer (eg paid stamp duty land tax),or | any indirect incentive (cash or non cash) or rental guarantee, of which the lender was previously unaware
  • Following advice from the property assessor on their lender panel or If the lender has doubts about the effectiveness of the valuation as a result of subsequent events or information received post valuation but pre completion
  • If the lender reasonably believe that the applicant, borrower, mortgagor or guarantor is insolvent or is about to become insolvent or has or will have a petition presented or if any one or all enter into any arrangement with their creditors generally or if any one or all should suffer a material change in their financial circumstances
  • If the solicitor on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel acting for the applicant, borrower, mortgagor or guarantor cannot comply with Banks and Clients ‘s instructions
My fiance and I are in the throws of viewing houses and now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I will be getting a mortgage with Banks and Clients
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 Banks and Clients , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Banks and Clients conveyancing panel.
I have a mortgage with Banks and Clients. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Banks and Clients?
Your original mortgage agreement with Banks and Clients will provide that you need their approval in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Banks and Clients’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Banks and Clients directly. You need not do this via a Banks and Clients conveyancing panel solicitor.