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First Direct 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 First Direct Conveyancing Panel?
Check your firm’s panel Status
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How can my firm be reinstated onto the First Direct Conveyancing Panel?
Check your firm’s panel Status

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. It is supported by professional indemnity insurers. It is a unique risk management tool.

This system is the only way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on First Direct’s changes. Notwithstanding that utilising the tool is not a condition for acceptance on the First Direct panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with First Direct’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your panel status.

The system generates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. It is also user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, results in a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by First Direct

Banks and building societies often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from First Direct 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, First Direct has made 265 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the UK Finance Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 10.3 days. In total, 14% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for First Direct have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,
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FAQs for the First Direct Solicitor Panel from members of the public

My Conveyancer is not on the First Direct Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to use my preferred solicitor even though they are excluded from the First Direct panel?
You will need to have a conveyancer complete the legal work required when you take out a First Direct mortgage to buy your property. They’ll carry out all the necessary legal checks on the property, make sure that you’re properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the necessary mortgage documentation is in place. You can instruct a conveyancing firm of your choice. However, if the firm selected is not a member of the First Direct conveyancing panel additional costs will be incurred as separate legal representation will be required by First Direct. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not previously applied for membership they can do so.
We are only a couple days away from an exchange and my mum and dad having transferred the 10% deposit to my lawyer. I am now advised that as the deposit has not come from me my lawyer needs to disclose this to my lender First Direct. I am advised that, being on the First Direct conveyancing panel and acting on their behalf he must inform First Direct if the balance of the mortgage advance is not just from me. I informed the bank about my parent’s contribution when I applied for the home loan so is it really necessary for this now to be an issue?
Your lawyer is obliged to check with First Direct to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. Your solicitor can only report this to First Direct if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the First Direct conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the First Direct approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the First Direct conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the First Direct solicitor panel.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the First Direct conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the First Direct 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 I be sure that the solicitor on the First Direct panel is any good?
seeking recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your transaction
I have a mortgage with First Direct. Conveyancing was finalised a year 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 BTL mortgage or inform First Direct?
First Direct must be informed of your intention in advance of letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of First Direct’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let 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 First Direct directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a First Direct conveyancing panel lawyer.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment. My mortgage broker suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 150. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me to say that they were not on the First Direct 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 First Direct 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.

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