Common questions asked concerning the Bradford & Bingley Solicitor Panel from members of the public
On what basis would a firm of solicitors be excluded from the Bradford & Bingley solicitor panel?
A survey recently commissioned by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority found that three quarters of law firms had been excluded from a lender panel. The top reasons in order are :
- Low volume of transactions
- the lawyer is a sole practitioner
- as part of the HSBC panel reduction
- regulatory contact by SRA
- accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Bradford & Bingley
My son-in-law is buying a newly built flat with a home loan from Bradford & Bingley. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested.
The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.
The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
I note that you have a post code search directory listing solicitors on the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for my house purchase?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
We're in Birmingham, FTBs purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Bradford & Bingley , but our solicitor is on the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Bradford & Bingley 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 the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel?
Some major banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is 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 join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Bradford & Bingley as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Bradford & Bingley would not normally appoint a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Bradford & Bingley panel
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Bradford & Bingley conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
There is little point in complaining directly to Bradford & Bingley. 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 properly dealt with 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.