Godiva Mortgages Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers such as AmTrust. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This software facilitates the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Godiva Mortgages’s changes. While using the software is not a condition for acceptance on the Godiva Mortgages panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Godiva Mortgages’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. It is also simply to use, cost-effective and, for some firms, results in a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Godiva Mortgages

Lenders often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Godiva Mortgages 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, Godiva Mortgages has made 302 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 9.0 days. In total, 59% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Godiva Mortgages 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
6.7.1 27/09/2019 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.6.1 11/07/2019 CML
Buy to Let Conveyancing
Contact details at Godiva Mortgages Ltd for conveyancing panel lawyers were the subject property is let/to be let and to check Godiva Mortgages Ltd lend on buy-to-let.
16.3.2 10/04/2019 CML
Transfer of Equity
Godiva Mortgages Ltd details for requesting debt amount
17.2.1a 10/04/2019 CML
Redemption Payments
Where do solicitors and conveyancers send the discharge and repayment remittance in relation to Godiva Mortgages Ltd mortgages ?
6.6.1 07/03/2019 CML
Buy to Let Conveyancing
Contact details at Godiva Mortgages Ltd for conveyancing panel lawyers were the subject property is let/to be let and to check Godiva Mortgages Ltd lend on buy-to-let.
3.1.3 16/01/2019 CML
Conveyancing Solicitors Details for Sellers
Do Godiva Mortgages Ltd require notification form their panel lawyer of the name and address of the solicitors firm or licensed conveyancers firm acting for the seller?
6.7.1 18/05/2018 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Godiva Mortgages Ltd approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.7.1 16/05/2018 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.4.4 05/07/2017 CML
Disclosing Incentives
Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel lawyers additional requirements concerning reporting incentives
5.20.3 05/07/2017 CML
Panels PV Solar
Existence of additional requirements set by Godiva Mortgages Ltd for approved lawyers relating to leases of roof space for solar PV panels, and if so, what they are.

Last update 23/03/2020

Godiva Mortgages Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public

We are hoping to buy a 3 bedroom flat in London with a mortgage from Godiva Mortgages. We have a solicitor but Godiva Mortgages says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the Godiva Mortgages panel firms or keep our solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Godiva Mortgages
My conveyancer has uncovered a discrepancy when comparing the assumptions in Godiva Mortgages’s home valuation report and what is in the title deeds. My solicitor says that as he is on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel he is duty bound to ensure that the lender is with this discrepancy and is content go ahead. Is my lawyer’s approach correct?
A precondition to being on the Godiva Mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Godiva Mortgages) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.
I see that you have a search directory listing solicitors on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I retain them for my house purchase?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
The lawyers that just started acting on my house acquisition in Brighton has without warning closed. I only went with them because I had to have a lawyer on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel and my preferred lawyer was not. I paid them £200 on account. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help
Is it the case that all conveyancing solicitors on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel work on a no sale no fee basis?
On the whole there are no requirements by lenders for their firms to operate on a no-sale-no-fee basis. There a small number of lenders who operate a very restricted conveyancing panel managed by a third party company (often termed in the industry as a ‘gatekeeper’). That third party may impose certain conditions such as non-sale-no fee on the panel firms. If you require this as a condition of your conveyancing then you should check with the conveyancing firm that this is part of their package
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension . I have telephoned Godiva Mortgages on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Godiva Mortgages 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
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Godiva Mortgages. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Godiva Mortgages 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 Godiva Mortgages to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
I have instructed a lawyer having checked that they are on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property? Or I've digested plenty of mortgage guides,I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the Godiva Mortgages conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Godiva Mortgages will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Godiva Mortgages will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller. or Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Godiva Mortgages you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.