Cambridge Building Society Conveyancing Panel Information

The information on this page is designed to keep solicitors and licensed conveyancers abreast of latest requirements changes by Cambridge Building Society and to assist in remaining on the Cambridge Building Society Approved Conveyancing Solicitors.

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Cambridge Building Society Solicitor Panel Information:

What are the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel criteria?

Unlike the CML the Building Society Mortgage Instructions deal with this. Section A.12 states ‘In order to act on our behalf your firm or company must be a member of our conveyancing panel provided we are a society that operates one – see specific requirements for details of our arrangements. The Special Requirements state:

The minimum criteria for appointment to our panel are:

At least two qualified partners who hold current Law Society practising certificates

The practice must be listed in the Law Society or Council for Licensed Conveyancers directories

The firm must have a minimum of £2 million professional indemnity cover

You must also comply with the terms and conditions of your Cambridge Building Society solicitor panel appointment.

Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to list practices on the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel ?

We have not been informed any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a tool .

An established client of mine is purchasing a semi detached house for £835,250 in Newcastle with a mortgage over GBP 440,000. I am on the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel but do Cambridge Building Society have a separate approved panel when the advance is above 350k?

Lexsure only know of a couple of lenders that operate a separate approved solicitors panel where the mortgage advance is over a certain level. You should nevertheless check directly with Cambridge Building Society. At one stage HSBC would only allow Sole practitioners to act for them where the mortgage was below £150,000. We are not sure if HSBC still operate such a condition. In your case it is best to check with Cambridge Building Society

Are there conditions, outside the BSA Mortgage Instructions, that a firm should be aware of when on the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel?

In order to be on the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel solicitors have to complete an application form and agree Terms and Conditions. A sample of 5 conditions that we see amongst many lenders Terms (but not necessarily Cambridge Building Society) are as follows:

You have the consent of all borrowers to apply for the deeds, before making any request for deeds. We will accept your request for deeds on the understanding that you have obtained such consent. If this is not the case then you should advise our Deeds Services Department in writing when you make your request
Without prejudice to your obligation to comply in full with the Safeguards provisions in the BSA Lenders’ Handbook, to report to us as soon as possible any suspicion that you have about the genuineness of any transaction in any respect.
To quote on all communications with us relating to registration issues, whether by telephone or in writing, the panel number that we provide for each practising address and the mortgage account or application number for the mortgage concerned.
To forward the title deeds and documents to another conveyancer within 24 hours of an instruction from us requiring you to do so. On forwarding the deeds as instructed you will confirm to us that you have done so. Upon receipt of your confirmation, we will release you from all undertakings relating to your holding the title deeds.
That any deeds you borrow from us in connection with the personal mortgage of a partner or director at your firm must be requested by a partner or director other than the partner or director concerned and the transaction must be handled by that other partner or director. If you are a sole practitioner and require the loan of deeds in connection with your own mortgage, you must nominate a different firm on our panel to request the deeds and handle the transaction.

Are there conditions,outside the BSA Mortgage Instructions, that a firm should be aware of when on the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel?

To quote on all communications with us relating to deeds issues, whether by telephone or in writing, the panel number that we provide for each practising address and the mortgage account or application number for the mortgage concerned.
To be responsible for the reconstitution of the title deeds (whether the title is registered or unregistered, at your own cost), where any deeds in your possession, or were last known to be in your possession, go missing.
That any deeds you borrow from us in connection with the personal mortgage of a partner or director at your firm must be requested by a partner or director other than the partner or director concerned and the transaction must be handled by that other partner or director. If you are a sole practitioner and require the loan of deeds in connection with your own mortgage, you must nominate a different firm on our panel to request the deeds and handle the transaction.
You have the consent of all borrowers to apply for the deeds, before making any request for deeds. We will accept your request for deeds on the understanding that you have obtained such consent. If this is not the case then you should advise our Deeds Services Department in writing when you make your request
To carry out our instructions with reasonable care and skill, ensuring that all employees carrying out mortgage work on our behalf are qualified and competent to do so

The firm that I work for is on the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel. I am dealing with Cambridge Building Society mortgage on a purchase. My borrower client is asking not to disclose an issue to Cambridge Building Society. What do I do in this conflict situation?

When a solicitor is acting for both Cambridge Building Society and borrower there is potential for conflicts to arise. You owe duties to both clients. All information received by you from your client is confidential and cannot be disclosed without the client’s consent.

In your situation, if the purchaser will not consent to the information being passed on to the lender, the solicitor must cease to act for Cambridge Building Society and it may well be prudent for you to cease to act for the purchaser as well. You must not inform Cambridge Building Society of the reason for termination of the retainer over and above the fact that a conflict has arisen. The fact that you can no longer act should alert even the most somnambulistic of lenders that something is wrong with the borrower and/or purchase. The fact that you have disinstructed yourself should not affect your Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel status.

Can the BSA assist me in an appeal having not been accepted onto the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel?

If you have not been accepted or indeed been removed from the Cambridge Building Society conveyancing panel then the BSA will not have any part to play in influencing Cambridge Building Society in changing their mind. Please contact us here at Lexsure so that we can put you in touch with a consultant who may be able to assist. At the very least it’s worth a call to us.

What lender panels do you receive the most questions about?

BSA lenders do not come within the top 20 lenders in terms of frequency of questions. The most popular lender panels in terms of questions are as follows:

Find a Lawyer on the Cambridge Building Society Approved Conveyancing Solicitors

Average number of days to register title including a charge in favour of Cambridge Building Society

This information relates to purchase only and not remortgages.

Year	Days*
2025	[no data]
2024	[no data]
2023	[no data]
2022	[no data]
2021	[no data]
2020	[no data]

* Data aggregated from sources including COMPLETIONmonitor

Find solicitors on the Cambridge Building Society panel near you:

Please note that Lexsure Ltd is in no way associated with nor affiliated with Lexsure Solicitors