Danske Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

The Law Society of Scotland has suggested that solicitors should check their panel status with lenders prior to accepting client instructions to act. The advice is lender-agnostic as it does not relate specifically to solicitors on the Danske Bank conveyancing panel. The recommendation 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

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 Danske Bank conveyancing panel. Typically lenders need to have full knowledge of a firm including (but not limited to):

Whether the firm has ever knowingly accepted instructions on transactions involving Sale and Rent Back, Back to Back, Exchange and Delayed Completion and Lease Option, Below Market Value.

Whether the firm is able to operate in other jurisdictions

Full complaints history for each conveyancing solicitor

conveyancer client account(s) details

Full complaints history for each licensed conveyancer

List of all those who fund the firm, including non-lawyers if applicable

Automated alerting to inform lenders when there is a fundamental change to the firm (e.g. new disciplinary action)

Whether the firm has ever accepted instructions in respect of property clubs and investment schemes

Charge registration history

Full career history for each licensed conveyancer including registration date with Council of Licensed Conveyancers

You need to be careful here as what you are intending may not be acceptable to the lender. It is possible that you (as a non-panel firm) or the mortgage applicant are not at liberty instruct a panel firm of your choice. Lenders such as Nationwide BS make it clear to their panel firms that where a non-panel member firm is instructed by one of their mortgage applicants, the lender will appoint a panel firm to carry out its instructions and to liaise with the borrower's conveyancer. You also need to make the costs implications and potential for delay very clear to your client.

We would recommend that you provide 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 Law Society viability as to what has gone on.

You need to communicate with Danske Bank to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook contains an express section for lenders to reveal who to contact to obtain standard documents. Danske Bank in their Part 2’s state: It helps to disclose the firm’s Danske Bank conveyancing panel reference.