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 PI insurers such as AmTrust. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

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

COMPLETIONmonitor generates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Scottish Widows

Banks and building societies frequently vary 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, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Scottish Widows has made 294 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 9.3 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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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
16.3.2 07/06/2018 CML
Transfer of Equity
Scottish Widows Bank plc details for requesting debt amount
6.7.2 22/11/2016 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Scottish Widows Bank plc panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : whether home warranty documentation should be sent to Scottish Widows Bank plc
6.7.1 09/05/2016 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Scottish Widows Bank plc approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.14.1 02/12/2014 CML
Building Insurance
Scottish Widows Bank plc panel lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance
3.1.4 01/12/2014 CML
details of the seller's solicitors or licensed conveyancers
4.1 01/12/2014 CML
Mortage valuation
Do Scottish Widows Bank plc arrange for there to be a valuation report and if so, do they provide it to their approved lawyers ?
5.5.1a 01/12/2014 CML
requirements in terms of time for planning consents
6.14.1a 01/12/2014 CML
contact point if property is not insured in accordance with lender requirement
6.14.1d 01/12/2014 CML
maximum excess re building insurance
3.1.5 01/12/2014 CML
ID Documentation
Scottish Widows Bank plc approved lawyers requirements re ID Documentation: Further acceptable documents (if any)

Last update 08/01/2019

Scottish Widows Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public

My partner and I are novices when it comes to buying a property. Within the 48 hours our conveyancer has forwarded the sale agreement to sign with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Scottish Widows have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit 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 solicitors should contact Scottish Widows and see if they can apply for membership of the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Scottish Widows will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

My nephew is about to exchange on a newly built flat with a home loan from Scottish Widows. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked.

The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.

The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Do all the firms listed on your directory have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders or BSA do not require online case tracking. Some law firms operate such technology and some don't.
I am considering refinancing my home does my lawyer have to be on the Scottish Widows Conveyancing panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor but Scottish Widows will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
We have agreed to purchase a house.One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Scottish Widows be concerned
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Scottish Widows your lawyer must to check the Scottish Widows conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for Scottish Widows . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Scottish Widows 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.
My husband and I are spending time looking at apartments and now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a mortgage with Scottish Widows
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Scottish Widows , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Scottish Widows conveyancing panel.
I have today made my last payment due on mortgage with Scottish Widows. I assume I don't need a solicitor on the Scottish Widows panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm
If you have finished paying off your Scottish Widows mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Scottish Widows mortgage from the register. Scottish Widows,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the Scottish Widows has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the Scottish Widows has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Scottish Widows mortgage has been paid off.