My wife and I are acquiring a brand new apartment in Winton and my lawyer is informing me that she has to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the developer. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange and my preference is not to prolong the conveyancing. Is my lawyer right?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your property lawyer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

We see that you have a post code search directory listing solicitors on the Santander conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I retain them for our own conveyancing in Winton?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Santander conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Winton.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and found one close by in Winton I like with open areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Winton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Winton for my house move. Can I review a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?

You may read published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions started on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training purposes.

Our conveyancer in Winton has uncovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Winton. The seller’s lawyers have offered title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that as he is on the bank conveyancing panel he must be satisfied that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. A precondition to being on the bank approved panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that the mortgage company can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.