Scottish Widows Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This system is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Scottish Widows’s changes. Notwithstanding that using the software is not a condition for being on the Scottish Widows panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Scottish Widows’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, just as importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces regulatory and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. In addition it is user friendly, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Scottish Widows

Banks and building societies often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Scottish Widows 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, Scottish Widows has made 304 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 9.0 days. In total, 43% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Scottish Widows have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Scottish Widows Conveyancing Panel Recently Asked Questions from members of the public

It has come to my attention via my IFA that my solicitor is not on the Scottish Widows Solicitor panel. What can I do to check?
The first thing you need to do is to contact your conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a firm that is on the the approved Scottish Widows solicitor panel.
Expecting to complete my purchase next Tuesday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in has capacity as lawyer for Scottish Widows. What risks do Scottish Widows expect the insurance to cover?
Any lawyer on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in Scottish Widows’s Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on Scottish Widows). Being on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these requirements.
Are the lawyers identified as being on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Scottish Widows?
The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Scottish Widows directly.
I was due to move into my dream home two days ago. My solicitor is on the Scottish Widows solicitors panel but has moved offices 8 weeks ago and had not advised Scottish Widows of their new address. Scottish Widows is now refusing to release my funds as the information from the solicitors isn't correct.
This is as unusual as it is unlucky. Most lender Terms of Conveyancing Panel Appointment specifically oblige the solicitor to inform the lender of an address change. Your solicitor needs to treat this with the utmost urgency. Do speak with or register your concern with the senior partner (assuming he or she is not your direct lawyer). Most lenders would be reasonable in this situation and expedite the resolution of this issue. It may be prudent to enlist the help of your local Scottish Widows branch or your mortgage broker to see if they can help.
Is it the case that all conveyancing solicitors on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel work on a no move no charge basis?
In the main 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 service
My brother and I have agreed a price on a apartment I spoke to a conveyancer previously used by my brother and he recommended using a law firm approved by Scottish Widows. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked Scottish Widows if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. Scottish Widows pointed out that either practice can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of Scottish Widows 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask Scottish Widows to suggest a law firm in your location. Lenders have them all over the country. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto Scottish Widows conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet Scottish Widows’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
My offer on house has been accepted, the seller does however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage app going with Scottish Widows?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with Scottish Widows and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.