I am 3 weeks into the sale of my ground floor flat in Aberaeron and the estate agent has just text me to warn that the buyers are switching law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading lender only engage with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Aberaeron ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Lenders blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

I require conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (seven years old) in Aberaeron. 95% of the appartments are already disposed of. Is it really necessary to order conveyancing searches as part of conveyancing in Aberaeron?

Where you are obtaining a loan, your bank will need some (many) of the searches so you'll have no choice. If not, then Aberaeron conveyancing searches are for you to decide upon. Your solicitor, will ’encourage’, perhaps strongly, that you should not go ahead without searches, but he or she has a professional duty to do this. One thing to bear in mind; if you are likely to sell the house one day, it may be of interest to your future buyer what the searches contain. Sometimes houses with no practical issues can still throw up adverse search results. But if you choose to instruct your lawyer to proceed without searches then your lawyer will have to follow your instructions or it may be necessary to find a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Aberaeron.

We note that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I retain them for our own conveyancing in Aberaeron?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Aberaeron.

I have recentlyfound out that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Aberaeron for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to see if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Aberaeron conveyancing specialists.

I am buying a new build apartment in Aberaeron. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Aberaeron

Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Please supply a car parking plan. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.