Whistletree Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders 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 remain fully compliant with their requirements, with automatic updates on Whistletree’s changes. Even though using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for acceptance on the Whistletree panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Whistletree’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, just as importantly, protect your firm’s panel status.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. It is also simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Whistletree

Lenders frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Whistletree 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, Whistletree has made 8 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 341.2 days. In total, 2% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Whistletree have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
10.7 28/04/2017 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
In the event of a delayed completion, when and how is advance to be returned to Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) by the approved lawyer?
1.11a 28/04/2017 CML
General Mortgage Instructions
Contact details at Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) for conveyancing panel lawyers to obtain mortgage documentation
14.2.1 28/04/2017 CML
Post Completion Conveyancing
Where should approved lawyersfor Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) send the title deeds and documents following completion?
6.7.1 09/02/2017 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes

Last update 17/05/2019

Q and A’s regarding the Whistletree Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

On what basis could a firm of solicitors be excluded from the Whistletree approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of solicitor practices had been removed 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 Whistletree
My conveyancer has discovered a difference when comparing the information in Whistletree’s home valuation report and what is revealed within the title deeds. My lawyer says that as he is on the Whistletree conveyancing panel he needs to check that the bank is with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my solicitor’s stance correct?
A precondition to being on the Whistletree approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Whistletree) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. 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 the licensed conveyancers and solicitor practices listed on your directory have online case tracking as I understood that this was a condition of being on the Whistletree solicitor 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 attempting to get my ex-wife removed the mortgage deeds. Can Whistletree really insist on which solicitor I can or can not instruct?
You can use any solicitor you like but Whistletree 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 Whistletree solicitors panel
Do most lenders 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 Whistletree conveyancing panel requirements are different to Whistletree’s conveyancing panel requirements.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Whistletree as we wish to carry out alterations or improvements our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Whistletree conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Whistletree do not ordinarily appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they did require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Whistletree list
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in month 2010 but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Whistletree are being difficult. The solicitor who is on the Whistletree conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Whistletree are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Whistletree have a conveyancing panel of they don’t accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Whistletree have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Whistletree may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing correctly and safely installed. It merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.