St James Place Conveyancing Panel Information

St James Place make no specific obligation to carry out any of the searches listed. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook simply states that ‘you must ensure that any other searches which may be appropriate to the particular property, taking into account its locality and other features are carried out’.

Please note that most ‘less usual searches’ (as described in the Law Society’s Conveyancing Handbook) are not optional as far as St James Place are concerned if they are ‘appropriate’. Most lenders will not require environmental searches (you should Check Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook to be sure), but you are obliged to explain risks and availability to the client.

Ground stability, Plansearch,flood searches as well as the searches listed in the question are optional – but only to the extent that you have allowed the borrower client to make an informed choice. Regardless of whether there is a mortgage, If you have not advised the client that these (and other) searches are available and what risks they cover, then you will be liable if the client suffers loss through not conducting one. Does your ROT and Ts and Cs cover this?

A leading search supplier lists over 72 conveyancing searches – do you know what all of them are and when they may be relevant? If you are unsure as to which searches are appropriate based on location call your search provider or call one of the leading search companies such as Searchflow.

Criteria differ from lender to lender. We do not hold specific requirements relating to the questions raised as part of the application to be on the St James Place conveyancing panel. Typically lenders need to have full knowledge of a firm including (but not limited to):

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

Structure of firm and, where applicable, its group

Full disciplinary history for each conveyancing solicitor

and Conveyancing Quality Scheme

List of all those staff who work within the conveyancing team

Charge registration history

Full career history for each solicitor including admission date to the relevant Law Society

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

Number of lender conveyancing panels the firm is currently on

Summary of annual accounts

In the same way that there is a unique St James Place conveyancing panel most building societies, operate a conveyancing panel for solicitors and other conveyancers that the lender will instruct. Terms and Conditions and criteria for inclusion on a building society conveyancing panel vary from lender-to-lender. Having CQS accreditation may be a requirement. Institutional lenders, such as a building society, is a client and is entitled to instruct the solicitor or conveyancer of its choosing (who, in turn, is free to accept or refuse instructions). Therefore, if lender and borrower cannot agree which solicitor or conveyancer should represent them jointly, they would usually proceed on a separate representation basis. The BSA have not published the equivalent of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Part 3s.

For most lenders participation on the lender's panel of conveyancers is at the absolute discretion of the the lender. Many lenders reserve the right to accept or reject any application without giving any reason. You should check your original application to join the St James Place conveyancing panel to see if you are entitled to a reason.

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 negatively affect your firm’s application but gives the Law Society viability as to what has gone on.

You would be advised to get in touch with St James Place to obtain standard documents. The The Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook incorporates an individual section for banks to establish who to contact to obtain standard documents. St James Place in their Part 2’s state: Please remember to disclose the firm’s St James Place solicitors panel number.