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approved by Co Op Bank

If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to do anything for you and have just received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer you're considering.

A precondition to being on the Co operative Bank approved panel is to comply with the CML Handbook requirements (last updated for this lender on Co operative Bank) which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.

The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Co operative Bank directly.

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to help

If you are getting a mortgage with Co operative Bank involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to Co operative Bank. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the Co operative Bank conveyancing panel.

If you have finished paying off your Co operative Bank mortgage they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co operative Bank mortgage from the register. Co operative Bank,and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage: but are not moving to another property where the Co operative Bank has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and the Co operative Bank has instructed the Land Registry to do so The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Co operative Bank mortgage has been paid off.

The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Co operative Bank or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Co operative Bank will tell you what documents they want. Co operative Bank will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Co operative Bank will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.