Q and A’s regarding the Britannia Solicitor Panel from members of the public
It has come to my attention via my financial adviser that my lawyer is not on the Britannia Solicitor panel. What can I do to be certain that this is indeed the case?
You need to contact your conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the the approved Britannia solicitor panel.
I am due to complete my purchase next Thursday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in has capacity as lawyer for Britannia. What does the insurance need to cover?
Any lawyer on the Britannia conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in Britannia’s Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on Britannia). Being on the Britannia conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these requirements.
I need to find a Britannia panel solicitor in Inverness. Can you assist?
Unfortunately it’s not apparent why you need a Britannia panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to Britannia to find out which solicitors in Britannia are on their panel. If you do find such a firm not listed please direct them to our site to list. After all the cost is only one £1 a month
We're in Birmingham, First time buyers buying with a mortgage (lender is Britannia , but our lawyer is on the Britannia conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Britannia 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
I was thinking of purchasing my friend’s property. Once we agree a price, what’s the best way to move forward? I plan to obtain a mortgage with Britannia. Is it possible to avoid using solicitors to save on the costs? 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 Britannia involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Britannia 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 Britannia. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Britannia conveyancing panel.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date . I have telephoned Britannia on various occasions and told it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Britannia conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Britannia. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Britannia will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask Britannia to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 175. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Britannia 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 Britannia 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.
