Zephyr Mortgages Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This software optimises the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on Zephyr Mortgages’s changes. Even though using the tool is not a condition for acceptance on the Zephyr Mortgages panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Zephyr Mortgages’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, just as importantly, protect your panel standing.

The software creates real-time alerts, automatically produces regulatory and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. It is also simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Zephyr Mortgages

Banks and building societies often change 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 44 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 62.0 days. In total, 24% 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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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
16.5.2 31/10/2018 CML
Deed of Variation
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers for confirming proposed deed of variation or agreement will not adversely affect Zephyr Mortgages
17.1.1 31/10/2018 CML
Redemption Statements
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers to request redemption statements .
4.5b 31/10/2018 CML
Certificates of Title
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for conveyancing panel/approved lawyers where COT should be sent
5.13.1 31/10/2018 CML
Balance of Monies
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers where borrower is not providing balance of purchase price from funds/proposing to give second charge.
Insolvency Act Indemnity Insurance Deed of Gift Indemnity Insurance
5.14.10 31/10/2018 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Zephyr Mortgages approved lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : contact for service charge matters
5.15.2a 31/10/2018 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing : Management Company
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for conveyancing panel lawyers for apparent problems with the management company.
6.11.1 31/10/2018 CML
Conveyancing Searches: Redevelopments and Road Proposals
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for conveyancing panel lawyers to used where Zephyr Mortgages needs to be notified where property is affected by redevelopment or road proposals.
Obstruction of Access Indemnity Insurance
6.13.1 31/10/2018 CML
Conveyancing Searches: Improvement or Repair Grants
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers to used where Zephyr Mortgages needs to be notified where property is affected by improvement/repair grant which will not be discharged.
7.4 31/10/2018 CML
Occupiers at the Property
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for conveyancing panel conveyancers if doubts about accuracy of information concerning occupation of the property
3.1.5 31/10/2018 CML
ID Documentation
Zephyr Mortgages panel lawyers requirements re ID Documentation: Further acceptable documents (if any)

Last update 14/03/2019

Zephyr Mortgages Solicitor Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public

Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor is not identified on the Zephyr Mortgages Solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 3 reasons are as follows: (1) lack 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. If you are concerned you should simply call the firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for Zephyr Mortgages.
I am buying a brand new duplex and my solicitor is informing me that she is duty bound to reveal incentives from the builder as her firm is on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to sign contracts and I would rather not delay matters. Can I insist on an exchange regardless of what my lawyer says about being on the Zephyr Mortgages panel?
You should not exchange unless you have advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on the Zephyr Mortgages approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Zephyr Mortgages). The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
I have checked your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the Zephyr Mortgages approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the Zephyr Mortgages solicitor panel.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is expelled from the Zephyr Mortgages Conveyancing panel before completion?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. 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.
Is the case that all CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Zephyr Mortgages as we wish to carry out a loft conversion to our home. Do we need to appoint a solicitor on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Zephyr Mortgages would not normally instruct 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 Zephyr Mortgages panel
Completion of my remortgage has taken place with a loan from Zephyr Mortgages. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about Zephyr Mortgages. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the Zephyr Mortgages branches or the Customer Services Department at Zephyr Mortgages head office. We understand that complaints to Zephyr Mortgages are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel that the matter is not resolved you can write to the Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.