Family Building Society Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers such as AmTrust. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system optimises the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Family Building Society’s changes. Notwithstanding that utilising the software is not a condition for acceptance on the Family Building Society panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Family Building Society’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, protect your firm’s panel standing.

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

Find a Law Firm approved by Family Building Society

Banks and building societies often vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Family Building Society 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, Family Building Society has made 99 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 27.6 days. In total, 45% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Family Building Society have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Family Building Society Solicitor Panel Recently Asked Questions from members of the public

I am in the process of selling my maisonette and the estate agent has just called to advise that the buyers are switching law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that Family Building Society will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only engage with certain lawyers?
Banks have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Banks point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Please assist. For no fault of my lawyer but, my purchase conveyancing has been going on for months. The Local Authority Search from Family Building Society was dated random date and we have agreed a date for me to move into the property on 10 days inc Day of week eg. Mon. My lawyer informs me that as she is on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel she needs to redo the searches as they are now out of date.
One of the many conditions to being on the Family Building Society approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 obligations (last updated for this lender on Family Building Society)which states that a local authority search be not more than 6 months old. You should nevertheless ask your lawyer to check whether something called ‘search validation’ indemnity insurance is acceptable to Family Building Society.
Do all the licensed conveyancers and solicitor practices listed on your search have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Family Building Society 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.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is expelled from the Family Building Society Solicitor panel before completion?
The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
I had instructed online conveyancers located in Bristol who are on the Family Building Society solicitor panel. They are now charging me a separate fee of £175 for dealing with the Family Building Society mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Family Building Society?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Family Building Society but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Family Building Society will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with Family Building Society. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Family Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Family Building Society mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Family Building Society mortgage from the register. Family Building Society,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the Family Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the Family Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Family Building Society mortgage has been paid off.
I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in month 7 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Family Building Society are being pedantic. The solicitor who is on the Family Building Society conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Family Building Society are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Family Building Society have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Family Building Society have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Family Building Society 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.