Clydesdale Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

The CML, together with Clydesdale Bank and other members created a standard set of instructions where a solicitor is acting for a lender such as Clydesdale Bank alone in a residential conveyancing matter. These legal instructions are contained at Part 3 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook and are to be followed together with Sections One and Two. The CML have published an example requirements letter to the borrower’s conveyancing solicitor for adaptation by the lender's conveyancer, and sets out to the borrower's conveyancer, the documentary and information requirements of the lender's panel conveyancer.

The Scottish Law Society has suggested that solicitors should check their lender panel status before accepting client instructions to act. The advice is lender-agnostic as it does not relate specifically to solicitors on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. The suggestion arises from the practice of a number of mortgage lenders who remove solicitors from their panels without prior notice as part of their panel management system, which can lead to some solicitors discovering this only once instructed. This is sensible advice as a client finding out midway through a transaction that their lawyer is not on the approved lender panel is very frustrating and can lead to complaints. Many online consumer forums contain posts where someone is complaining about finding that their lawyer is not on a lender conveyancing panel. Such forums include mumsnet.com

We only know of a couple of lenders that operate a separate conveyancing panel where the mortgage advance is over a certain level. You should nevertheless check directly with Clydesdale Bank. 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 Clydesdale Bank

Each lender has different criteria. We do not hold specific requirements relating to the questions raised as part of the application to be on the Clydesdale Bank conveyancing panel. Typically lenders need to have full knowledge of a firm including (but not limited to):

top-up split and history of any refusals

The percentage of the firm’s business which is conveyancing (broken down into sale

Solicitor

Areas of Law covered by the firm

List of all Licensed Conveyancers within firm

Firm name, address and contact details including all branches (including evidence of existence through risk-based physical visits and Google Streetview checks)

List of all those staff who work within the conveyancing team

Automated alerting to inform lenders when there is a fundamental change to the firm (e.g. change of name)

Summary of annual accounts

Charge registration history

It would be advisable to supply details of the date of removal, information on the reason for removal, date of appeal and any reason given for reinstatement. This should not adversely impact your firm’s application but gives the CQS team a complete picture of what has happened.

You would be advised to communicate with Clydesdale Bank to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook contains a specific inquiry for banks to cite who to contact to obtain standard documents. Clydesdale Bank in their Part 2’s state: It helps to quote your Clydesdale Bank solicitors panel number.