We were about to choose a conveyancing solicitor in St James's listed on your site but have come across some other quotes on the internet look cheaper – why is this?

There are plenty of solicitors offering what appear to be cut price. We suggest that you think long and hard about how important this transaction is to you that want to take 'cheap' risks with regard to the standard of the legal work. Some embed extras deep into the terms of engagement. The law firms that we list for conveyancing in St James's will notdo this.

We just had an offer accepted to buy with Darlington Building Society. I popped in a few local practices yet am unable to find a St James's conveyancing firm on the Darlington Building Society panel. Please you help?

Feel free to take advantage of the find a lender approved solicitor tool on this web page. Pick the lender and type St James's or your preferred area and you will be presented with numerous solicitors located in St James's or by proximity to you.

Given that I am about to part with over three hundred thousand on a house in St James's I wish to talk to a lawyer about myconveyancing before giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the lawyer due to be carrying out your property ownership legalities in St James's.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important individual, not a matter number. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in St James's should be the figure that you are charged.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in St James's from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in St James's can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
A minority of St James's leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 75 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale. If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Organising a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a St James's conveyancing transaction. If a new share is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible. If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing.

My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in St James's. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

in cases where there is a missing freeholder or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to assess the price payable.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a St James's premises is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 73.26 years.

I happen to be an executor of my recently deceased mother’s Will, with a property in St James's which is to be sold. The property is unregistered at the Land Registry and I'm told that many buyers solicitors will insist that it is completed before they'll move forward. What's the mechanism for this?

In the circumstances that you have set out it seems sensible to apply to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. HMLR’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.