Bank of Scotland Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the CML and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This software assists the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on Bank of Scotland’s changes. Notwithstanding that utilising the tool is not a condition for being on the Bank of Scotland panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Bank of Scotland’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, just as importantly, protect your panel standing.

The system generates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Bank of Scotland

Banks and building societies often vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Bank of Scotland 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, Bank of Scotland has made 274 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 10.0 days. In total, 28% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Bank of Scotland have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
17.1.1 29/08/2018 CML
Redemption Statements
Contact details at Bank of Scotland for approved lawyers to request redemption statements .
17.1.1 05/06/2018 CML
Redemption Statements
Contact details at Bank of Scotland for conveyancing panel lawyers to request redemption statements .
6.7.1 07/03/2018 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Bank of Scotland panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.7.1 19/05/2017 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Bank of Scotland panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
5.1.1 24/10/2016 CML
Properties owned for less than 6 months
Contact details at Bank of Scotland for conveyancing panel lawyers where there is a restriction on use.
5.13.1 26/08/2016 CML
Balance of Monies
Contact details at Bank of Scotland for approved 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
10.2a 23/05/2016 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
Do Bank of Scotland send the mortgage advance electronically or by cheque?
10.7 23/05/2016 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
In the event of a delayed completion, when and how is advance to be returned to Bank of Scotland by the conveyancing panel?
6.7.1 09/05/2016 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Bank of Scotland approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
5.8.1 11/04/2016 CML
Freehold and leasehold owner of multiple flats
Bank of Scotland approved lawyers clarification as to whether they accept security which comprises a building converted into not more than four flats where the borrower occupies one of those flats and the borrower or another flat owner also owns the freehold of the building and the other flats are subject to long leases?

Last update 14/03/2019

Bank of Scotland Solicitor Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public

I was advised recently by my estate agent that my solicitor is not on the Bank of Scotland Solicitor panel. What can I do to check?
The first thing you need to do is to contact your lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the the approved Bank of Scotland solicitor panel.
Our lawyer has identified a problem with the lease for the flat we are buying. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor says that as he is on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel he must ensure that the lender is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or Bank of Scotland?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and Bank of Scotland are the client. A precondition to being on the Bank of Scotland approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Bank of Scotland). The CML Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that Bank of Scotland can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
Do all mortgage companies provide you with an approved list of solicitors? How do you know who is on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel?
The law firm practices themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Bank of Scotland directly.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Bank of Scotland 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.
Is it the case that all conveyancing lawyers on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
There is generally 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 service
I am buying a property where the roof has a solar panel. Bank of Scotland have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is Bank of Scotland your lawyer must to check the Bank of Scotland conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Bank of Scotland . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Bank of Scotland where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. Requirements for Scotland are due in the near future.
Planning on purchasing a house with a mortgage with Bank of Scotland. I have received an online quote from a licensed conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that they are on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel