Barclays - Woolwich Solicitor Panel Example Support Desk Enquires from members of the public
I am in the process of selling my house and the EA has just called to advise that the buyers are appointing a new solicitor. The reason given is that Barclays - Woolwich will only deal with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading lender only work with certain solicitors?
Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.
Lenders blame a rise 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 being contacted daily by practices 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.
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Barclays - Woolwich will not agree to this. Why was Barclays - Woolwich even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Barclays - Woolwich of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Barclays - Woolwich then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Barclays - Woolwich.
Do I have to have a meeting at the offices of the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Bristol
so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
Most conveyancing panel lawyers for Barclays - Woolwich undertake all of the work via the post, internet or over the phone. This means that they can undertake your Conveyancing Transaction no matter where you live in England or Wales. However you should check if you can still book an appointment to go into appointed conveyancing lawyer if you prefer.
I am attempting to get my former partner removed the mortgage deeds. Can Barclays - Woolwich really insist on which solicitor I can or can not use?
You can use any solicitor you like but Barclays - Woolwich then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the Barclays - Woolwich solicitors panel
Are all Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Barclays - Woolwich conveyancing panel?
A selection of lenders now use CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their panels.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Barclays - Woolwich do lawyers have to be pay a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their panel although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 225. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the Barclays - Woolwich 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 Barclays - Woolwich 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.