Yes — your conveyancing solicitor reviews your mortgage offer in detail and acts for your lender as well as for you on most residential transactions. This dual role surprises many first-time buyers, but it is one of the most important parts of the conveyancing process. Below we explain exactly what your solicitor checks, why it matters, and what can delay your completion if a problem is found.
If you are buying or remortgaging a home in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, or anywhere across the UK, our team at J Scott & Co Solicitors handles the lender side of your conveyancing as part of our fixed-fee service. Get an instant quote or call us on 01628 777233.
1. Reviewing the mortgage offer terms and conditions
Your solicitor receives a copy of your formal mortgage offer directly from the lender. They read through every condition and check that none of them are inconsistent with the property you are actually buying.
Common conditions that need solicitor attention include:
- Retentions — the lender holds back part of the loan until certain works are done (a new roof, damp treatment, electrical certificate). Your solicitor needs to flag this to you and the seller's side before exchange.
- Survey-driven conditions — the lender's valuer may require evidence that an extension has building regulations approval, or that there is no Japanese knotweed.
- Source of deposit verification — the lender may require written evidence of where the cash element of your deposit comes from.
- Leasehold conditions — for flats, lenders impose minimum unexpired lease terms (often 85 years at completion). Your solicitor checks the lease meets the lender's requirement.
- New-build warranty requirements — typically NHBC, LABC, or equivalent. The lender will not release funds without sight of the warranty.
If any condition cannot be met, your solicitor negotiates with the lender to vary the offer, or with the seller to fix the underlying issue.
2. Checking the source of your deposit funds
This is a regulatory requirement under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017, and it is enforced by both your solicitor (under SRA rules) and your lender (under FCA rules).
Your conveyancer will ask for bank statements, typically six months for the account holding your deposit. They are looking for:
- Steady accumulation of savings, consistent with your declared income
- Any large lump sum payments in (a property sale, an inheritance, a gift)
- The flow of the money — they need to be able to trace it from origin to their client account
If you have received a gifted deposit (often called "Bank of Mum and Dad"), you will need a signed gifted deposit letter from the donor, plus the donor's ID, plus evidence of the donor's source of funds. This is the same process the lender will run on its own side — but your solicitor cannot release funds without satisfying themselves first.
3. Drawing down funds and registering the legal charge
On completion morning, your solicitor:
- Receives the mortgage advance from your lender
- Combines it with your deposit (already held on account)
- Transfers the full purchase price to the seller's solicitor
- Receives confirmation of release and the title documents
- Pays SDLT to HMRC within 14 days
- Registers the property in your name and the legal charge in the lender's favour at HM Land Registry
The lender's legal charge is what makes them a secured creditor. Without that registration, the lender would have no security for the loan — which is why no lender will release funds before a solicitor commits to dealing with it.
Why local expertise matters
Property in Beaconsfield, the wider HP9 postcode, and across Buckinghamshire often involves higher-value purchases, listed buildings, and leasehold flats that need careful lender management. At J Scott & Co Solicitors, we are on the panel for nearly every major UK lender and many specialist lenders, including Gatehouse Bank, Together, and WestOne Loans. That panel coverage means we can act for the lender as well as for you in almost every transaction.
If you are looking for conveyancing solicitors in Beaconsfield, our fixed-fee service includes all the lender liaison and certification work described above — there is no separate "lender administration fee" added at the end. You can also see our pages for Conveyancing in Maidenhead and Conveyancing in Reading.
Get a fixed-fee conveyancing quote
If you are buying, selling, or remortgaging in Beaconsfield, Maidenhead, Reading, or across the wider Berkshire and Buckinghamshire region, J Scott & Co Solicitors offer transparent, fixed-fee residential conveyancing on most major lender panels.
