Zephyr Mortgages Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and professional indemnity insures. It is a unique risk management tool.

This system optimises the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on Zephyr Mortgages’s changes. Even though using the tool is not a prerequisite for Zephyr Mortgages , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Zephyr Mortgages’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, safeguard your panel status.

The system creates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will enhance your firm's efficiency. It is also user friendly, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Zephyr Mortgages

Mortgage companies frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Zephyr Mortgages 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, Zephyr Mortgages has made 51 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 53.5 days. In total, 25% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Zephyr Mortgages have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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

Is there a reason why all UK lawyers aren't included on the Zephyr Mortgages Solicitor panel?
Zephyr Mortgages and other mortgage companies normally restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing solicitors on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that Zephyr Mortgages have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Zephyr Mortgages Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, Conveyancing is not their speciality? To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime; probably not.
We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company Zephyr Mortgages will not agree to this. Why was Zephyr Mortgages even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform Zephyr Mortgages of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to Zephyr Mortgages then they would have to discontinue acting for you and Zephyr Mortgages.
I see that you have a search directory listing firms on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I appoint them for my conveyancing?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Zephyr Mortgages Solicitor panel prior to the completion date?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have ti instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by the regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
How can we tell if a solicitor on the Zephyr Mortgages 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 advocate that you speak with the lawyer conducting your conveyancing
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 225. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Zephyr Mortgages panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
Planning on purchasing a house with a mortgage with Zephyr Mortgages. 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 Zephyr Mortgages 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 Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel