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Britannia Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Looking for information about your firm's panel status?

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How can my firm apply to be on the Britannia Conveyancing Panel?
Check your firm’s panel Status
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How can my firm be reinstated onto the Britannia Conveyancing Panel?
Check your firm’s panel Status

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. It is supported by professional indemnity insurers. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system optimises the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on Britannia’s changes. While utilising the tool is not a condition for being on the Britannia panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Britannia’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, protect your panel status.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Britannia

Lenders frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Britannia 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, Britannia has made 503 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the UK Finance Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 5.4 days. In total, 62% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Britannia have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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FAQs for the Britannia Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

On what basis could a law firm be removed from the Britannia approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been removed from a lender panel. The top reasons in order are :
  1. Low volume of transactions
  2. the lawyer is a sole practitioner
  3. as part of the HSBC panel reduction
  4. regulatory contact by SRA
  5. accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by Britannia
Can you help?. For no fault of my lawyer but, the conveyancing for my house purchase has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Britannia was issued random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 6. My lawyer has advised that as she is on the Britannia conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are now out of date.
One of the many conditions to being on the Britannia approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Britannia)which states that a local authority search be not more than half a year old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Britannia.
Do all the firms listed on your directory have online case tracking as I was under the impression that this was a precondition of being on the Britannia solicitor panel?
No. There is no CML Part 2 or Building Society Association requirement relating to online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
My solicitors in London have advised me that no longer have my conveyancing file. To assist with my purchase I took out a mortgage with Britannia. Is it case that being on the Britannia 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 Britannia Conveyancing Panel Terms. It might be worth you contacting Britannia directly.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat. I have a mortgage agreed with Britannia. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event if you are getting a mortgage with Britannia you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Britannia conveyancing panel.
I can not work out if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date . I have called Britannia on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation 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. I simply dont know who is right
As long as the conveyancer is on the Britannia panel she or he must comply with the CML Handbook 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 am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in month 8 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Britannia are being pedantic. The solicitor who is on the Britannia conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Britannia are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Britannia have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Britannia have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Britannia may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

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