Co operative Bank Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and professional indemnity insures. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system assists the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Co operative Bank’s changes. Even though utilising COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for being on the Co operative Bank panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Co operative Bank’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, just as importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel status.

COMPLETIONmonitor generates real-time alerts, automatically produces regulatory and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, results in reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Co operative Bank

Banks and building societies frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Co operative Bank are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Co operative Bank has made 598 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 4.6 days. In total, 72% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co operative Bank 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
10.7 04/04/2016 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
In the event of a delayed completion, when and how is advance to be returned to Co operative Bank plc by the conveyancing panel?
16.4.1 04/04/2016 CML
Consent to Let
Contact details at Co operative Bank plc for consent to let.
16.5.3a 04/04/2016 CML
Deed of Variation
Co operative Bank plc requirements for approved lawyers as to whether Co operative Bank plc need to be sent a Deed of Variation
7.4 04/04/2016 CML
Occupiers at the Property
Contact details at Co operative Bank plc for conveyancing panel conveyancers if doubts about accuracy of information concerning occupation of the property
9.1 04/04/2016 CML
Defective Title Insurance
Co operative Bank plc clarification to approved lawyers clarification as to whether Co operative Bank plc need to be sent the indemnity insurance policy
Adverse Possession Indemnity Insurance Possessory Title Indemnity Insurance Missing Deeds Indemnity Insurance Defective Title Indemnity Insurance
6.14.1b 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
6.14.1c 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance total sum insured calculation
6.14.4 01/12/2014 CML
sending a copy of the buildings insurance policy and last premium
3.1.3 01/12/2014 CML
Conveyancing Solicitors Details for Sellers
Do Co operative Bank plc require notification form their panel lawyer of the name and address of the solicitors firm or licensed conveyancers firm acting for the seller?
5.20.3 12/09/2012 CML
Panels PV Solar
Existence of additional requirements set by Co operative Bank plc for approved lawyers relating to leases of roof space for solar PV panels, and if so, what they are.

Last update 30/03/2020

Co operative Bank Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public

On what basis could a law firm be excluded from the Co operative Bank approved conveyancing 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 most common 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 Co operative Bank
My wife and I intend to remortgage our penthouse with Co operative Bank. We have a son 19 who lives with us. The solicitor on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel has asked us to disclose any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the flat is forfeited by the lender. I have two questions (1) Is this form unique to the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we purchased 4 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Co operative Bank .This is solely used to protect the Co operative Bank if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.

It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Co operative Bank had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

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 Co operative Bank 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.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
Can you point me to a directory of Co operative Bank panel conveyancers on the CML Handbook Website?
No. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings available online.
I'm spending time looking at flats and am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with Co operative Bank
It would be sensible to have your start your search soon rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Co operative Bank , ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have not been happy with the level or service received from my lawyer. Is there a Co operative Bank conveyancing panel complaints department or do I complain directly to the law firm?
Complaining to Co operative Bank about their conveyancing panel is unlikely to yield much of a response. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get 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 addressed 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.