Coutts Finance Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system optimises the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Coutts Finance’s changes. Notwithstanding that using this technology is not a prerequisite for Coutts Finance , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Coutts Finance’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will enhance 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 Coutts Finance

Banks and building societies often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Coutts Finance 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, Coutts Finance has made 94 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 29.0 days. In total, 41% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Coutts Finance have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
5.5.1a 01/12/2014 CML
requirements in terms of time for planning consents
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
1.11b 14/01/2011 CML
General Mortgage Instructions
Contact details at Coutts for conveyancing panel lawyers to where standard mortgage documentation is inappropriate
3.2.4 14/01/2011 CML
Sellers not having Legal Representation
Contact details at Coutts for approved lawyers to used where Coutts needs to be notified when the seller does not have legal representation.
5.19.1 14/01/2011 CML
Shared Ownership and Shared Equity
Contact details at Coutts for approved lawyers for lending on affordable housing, shared equity and shared ownership and where relevant Coutts requirements.
6.3.1 14/01/2011 CML
Purchase Price
Contact details at Coutts for conveyancing panel lawyers to used where there are any issues relating to purchase price.
6.4.4 14/01/2011 CML
Disclosing Incentives
Coutts approved lawyers additional requirements concerning reporting incentives
3.2.3 13/01/2011 CML
Conveyancing Solicitors Details for Sellers
Coutts requirements for notification of the name and address of the solicitors firm or licensed conveyancers firm acting for the seller?
10.2a 01/12/2010 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
Do Coutts send the mortgage advance electronically or by cheque?

Last update 16/03/2019

Q and A’s regarding the Coutts & Co Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

Is the fact that my conveyancer is not isted on the Coutts & Co Solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?
That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 3 reasons are as follows: (1) lack 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. If you are concerned you should simply call the firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for Coutts & Co.
Our conveyancer has requested from me identification documents saying that this forms part of his obligations as a solicitor on the Coutts & Co Conveyancing panel. Am I being spun a yarn?
Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Client Care letter that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that Coutts & Co also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with Coutts & Co CML Handbook requirements last updated on Coutts & Co
Are the lawyers identified as being on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Coutts & Co?
The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Coutts & Co directly.
I was due to move into my dream home last Thursday. My solicitor is on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel but has moved offices in the past couple of months and had not advised Coutts & Co of their new address. Coutts & Co has locked down the release of mortgage funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. Most lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Coutts & Co branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can assist.
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
I currently have a mortgage with with Coutts & Co. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Coutts & Co?
Coutts & Co must be informed of your intention in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Coutts & Co’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Coutts & Co will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Coutts & Co directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Coutts & Co conveyancing panel lawyer.
Me and my partner are purchasing a 1st floor apartment in Hendon. Conveyancing solicitors in Hendon need to beretained. My motherrecommended that we make sure that the conveyancing practitioner in Hendon is on the Coutts & Co list of approved conveyancing firms. Aren't all lawyers on the Coutts & Co panel?
Not all Hendon conveyancing firms are on the Coutts & Co conveyancing panel. 8 people a month use our search tool to find a Hendon conveyancing firm on the on the Coutts & Co approved list of lawyers.