National Westminster Bank 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 such as AmTrust. It is a unique risk management tool.

This software is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on National Westminster Bank’s changes. Notwithstanding that using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a prerequisite for National Westminster Bank , demonstrating you can stay up to date with National Westminster Bank’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your panel application and, more importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel status.

The system creates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. In addition it is user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by National Westminster Bank

Lenders often vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from National Westminster 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, National Westminster Bank has made 501 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 5.4 days. In total, 63% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for National Westminster 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
5.4.6 19/11/2019 CML
Conveyancing Searches: Search Insurance
National Westminster Bank plc panel lawyers clarification as to whether they accept search insurance and, if yes, the National Westminster Bank plc requirements
Local Search Indemnity Insurance
4.1 22/07/2019 CML
Mortage valuation
Do National Westminster Bank plc arrange for there to be a valuation report and if so, do they provide it to their approved lawyers ?
17.1.1 19/02/2019 CML
Redemption Statements
Contact details at National Westminster Bank plc for approved lawyers to request redemption statements .
5.13.1 07/12/2018 CML
Balance of Monies
Contact details at National Westminster Bank plc for conveyancing panel lawyers where borrower is not providing balance of purchase price from funds/proposing to give second charge.
Insolvency Act Indemnity Insurance Deed of Gift Indemnity Insurance
16.4.1 15/11/2018 CML
Consent to Let
Contact details at National Westminster Bank plc for consent to let.
16.5.3a 15/11/2018 CML
Deed of Variation
National Westminster Bank plc requirements for approved lawyers as to whether National Westminster Bank plc need to be sent a Deed of Variation
16.5.3d 15/11/2018 CML
Option Agreements
Contact details at National Westminster Bank plc for approved lawyers to send option agreements .
5.14.9 20/09/2018 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Contact details at National Westminster Bank plc for approved lawyers for matters relating to the lease.
5.14.11 03/09/2018 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
National Westminster Bank plc panel lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : acceptability of indemnity insurance where the terms of the lease are unsatisfactory
Defective Lease Indemnity Insurance
14.2.1 27/03/2018 CML
Post Completion Conveyancing
Where should approved lawyersfor National Westminster Bank plc send the title deeds and documents following completion?

Last update 19/01/2020

Examples of recent questions relating to the National Westminster Bank Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

On what basis could a firm of solicitors be removed from the National Westminster Bank approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of solicitor practices had been excluded from a lender panel. The top 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 National Westminster Bank
can you help? My conveyancer is advising me that she is duty-bound to apply for a Local Authority search as the firm are on the National Westminster Bank approved lawyer panel. Do I not have a choice here?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are taking a mortgage with National Westminster Bank your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of National Westminster Bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated National Westminster Bank. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
Do I need to visit the offices of the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Leeds so that I can pop in to their offices if necessary.
As opposed to 15 years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Leeds .
The lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in Brighton has suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I had to have a firm on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel and my family lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £175 for searches. What should be my next steps?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the National Westminster Bank 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 assist
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with National Westminster Bank. Solicitors have been instructed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from National Westminster Bank?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have National Westminster Bank done the valuation? Have you advised National Westminster Bank as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel? sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued
We have agreed to purchase a house.One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. National Westminster Bank have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As your lender is National Westminster Bank your lawyer must to check the National Westminster Bank conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for National Westminster Bank . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to National Westminster Bank where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. The CML are developing guidance for Northern Ireland and Scotland.
I'm in the throws of looking at houses and now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I I am planning to take a mortgage with National Westminster Bank
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. 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 estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with National Westminster Bank , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel.