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Sainsbury's Bank 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 Sainsbury's Bank Conveyancing Panel?
Check your firm’s panel Status
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How can my firm be reinstated onto the Sainsbury's Bank Conveyancing Panel?
Check your firm’s panel Status

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. It is supported by PI insurers such as AmTrust. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This software optimises the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their requirements, with notifications given on Sainsbury's Bank’s changes. Even though using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a prerequisite for Sainsbury's Bank , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Sainsbury's Bank’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your panel application and, more importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance 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 Sainsbury's Bank

Banks and building societies frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Sainsbury's 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, Sainsbury's Bank has made 130 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the UK Finance Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 21.0 days. In total, 57% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Sainsbury's Bank have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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

My wife and I are FTBs. Within the 48 hours our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Sainsburys Bank have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.

In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyers should contact Sainsburys Bank and see if they can apply for membership of the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Sainsburys Bank will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

can you help? My lawyer is assuring me that he is legally obliged to order a Local Authority search as the firm are on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel. Is my lawyer correct?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are taking a mortgage with Sainsburys 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 Sainsburys Bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated Sainsburys Bank. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
How up to date is your database of lawyers on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel? Do Sainsburys Bank send you an updated list?
The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Sainsburys Bank directly.
I am attempting to get my ex-wife removed the mortgage deeds. Can Sainsburys Bank really tell me which solicitor I can or can not use?
You can use any solicitor you like but Sainsburys Bank then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the Sainsburys Bank solicitors panel
How can we tell if a solicitor on the Sainsburys Bank 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 solicitor carrying out your transaction
Do most banks operate their own panel of solicitors?
Many lenders do operate a restricted conveyancing panel but a lot of lenders allow any solicitors to join their panel so long as they meet their criteria. Each lender sets their own criteria. For example the Sainsburys Bank conveyancing panel requirements are different to Sainsburys Bank’s conveyancing panel requirements.
Sainsburys Bank have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on house has been accepted, now what?
The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Sainsburys Bank or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Sainsburys Bank will tell you what documents they want. Sainsburys Bank will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Sainsburys Bank will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.

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