Choosing a conveyancer for a purchase or remortgage is not only a question of price, location or availability. If Bank of Ireland is providing the mortgage, the firm must also be able to work with Bank of Ireland’s mortgage instructions.
Checking this at the beginning can help avoid the cost and delay of discovering later that the borrower’s chosen conveyancer cannot also represent the lender.
Check for a Bank of Ireland panel solicitor
Enter your postcode or town to find regulated conveyancing firms working with Bank of Ireland instructions.
Why does the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel matter?
In a typical mortgage transaction, the conveyancer acts for two clients: the buyer or borrower and the mortgage lender.
The conveyancer investigates the title and advises the buyer, but must also protect the lender’s security and comply with its applicable mortgage instructions. Lenders therefore decide which firms they are prepared to instruct.
A firm may be regulated, experienced and recommended without necessarily being able to act for Bank of Ireland on a particular mortgage. Panel status should be checked before the borrower pays money on account or substantial work begins.
How do I search for a Bank of Ireland panel solicitor?
The Bank of Ireland conveyancing-panel search allows borrowers to enter a postcode or town and view regulated firms working with Bank of Ireland instructions.
The results are ordered by distance. That does not mean the nearest firm is necessarily the most appropriate choice, or that the conveyancer must be located near the property.
Many conveyancing transactions are handled remotely. Borrowers should compare factors such as:
- experience with the relevant type of property;
- the identity and availability of the person handling the file;
- the firm’s communication arrangements;
- whether the quotation includes acting for the lender;
- additional charges for leasehold or mortgage work;
- the firm’s ability to meet the proposed timescale; and
- whether its Bank of Ireland panel status has been confirmed.
Is the directory Bank of Ireland’s complete panel?
No. LenderMonitor provides a curated selection of accredited solicitors and licensed conveyancers working with Bank of Ireland mortgage instructions. It is not presented as Bank of Ireland’s complete approved panel.
A firm’s absence from the search results does not prove that it is unable to act for Bank of Ireland. The borrower should ask the firm to confirm its current status directly.
LenderMonitor and LenderPanel.com are independent services. They are not owned by, affiliated with or endorsed by Bank of Ireland.
What if my solicitor is not on the panel?
A borrower can generally choose their own solicitor. The difficulty is that a firm unable to act for Bank of Ireland cannot ordinarily represent the lender as part of the same transaction.
Depending on the lender’s arrangements and the stage reached, the possible consequences may include:
- appointing a different conveyancer who can act for both parties;
- a separate firm being instructed to represent the lender;
- additional legal fees;
- duplicated enquiries and document checks;
- delays while another firm reviews the title; or
- changes to the proposed completion timetable.
Borrowers should not assume that separate representation will always be offered or that it will be a quick solution. The available options should be established with the lender and the conveyancer.
Questions to ask before instructing a conveyancer
Before confirming instructions, ask the firm:
- Can you currently act for Bank of Ireland on this mortgage?
- Have you checked the precise lender identity appearing on the mortgage application or offer?
- Does your quotation include the legal work required for the lender?
- Are there additional mortgage, leasehold or bank-transfer fees?
- Who will handle the file and how can they be contacted?
- Have you dealt with this type of property before?
- What happens if your lender-panel status changes during the transaction?
A verbal statement that a firm “acts for all major lenders” is not as useful as confirmation that it can act for the named lender on the proposed mortgage.
Check the precise Bank of Ireland lender identity
Historic Handbook and panel records have referred to Bank of Ireland through more than one lender name or entry. These have included Bank of Ireland (UK) plc and Bank of Ireland acting under particular mortgage descriptions.
The correct starting point is the lender named in the mortgage offer and related instructions. A similar trading name should not automatically be treated as the same panel or lender record.
If there is uncertainty, the conveyancer should confirm the identity and instruction route before providing an assurance about panel status.
Panel membership and property acceptability are different questions
Panel membership determines whether a firm can represent the lender. It does not establish that Bank of Ireland will accept every property or title arrangement.
The conveyancer must still consider the lender’s applicable requirements concerning matters such as:
- the remaining term of a lease;
- ground rent and service charges;
- title defects and missing rights;
- planning and building regulation documentation;
- new-build warranties;
- restrictions on use or occupation;
- the source of the purchase funds; and
- matters requiring a report to the lender.
Being on the panel means that the firm can receive and act upon the lender’s instructions. It does not give the firm discretion to disregard those instructions.
Bank of Ireland and leasehold property
Lease length provides a useful example of why lender requirements must be checked at the correct time.
In 2015, About Conveyancing reported a change to Bank of Ireland’s then CML Handbook answer concerning minimum unexpired lease terms. Read the historical article: Are Bank of Ireland Closing the Door on Leasehold Properties?
That article records the position reported in October 2015. It should not be treated as evidence of Bank of Ireland’s current lease requirements. It does, however, demonstrate why conveyancers must check the lender-specific wording applicable to the transaction rather than relying on memory.
What if Bank of Ireland’s communication system is unavailable?
Technology can also affect the panel relationship. In January 2024, we reported a technical problem affecting Bank of Ireland’s RightFax facility and the transmission of panel-firm requests and information.
That incident is now historical, but it illustrates the importance of recording communication attempts and checking for an alternative lender-approved route where a normal system is unavailable. See Lenders Continue to Hit Tech Glitches.
Transfers of equity and changes to the title
Panel status can also matter after the original purchase has completed.
A transfer of equity, lease extension, title split or sale of part may alter the property over which Bank of Ireland holds its security. The lender’s consent may be required, and any legal work for the lender may need to be undertaken by an appropriately approved firm.
Borrowers should contact the lender and a suitable conveyancer before agreeing terms or executing documents. A title alteration should not be treated as an administrative step that can simply be notified to the lender afterwards.
What if a firm comes off the panel during the transaction?
If panel status changes after the firm has been instructed, the conveyancer should tell the borrower promptly and establish the lender’s position.
The response may depend upon the reason for the change, the stage reached and Bank of Ireland’s instructions. Another firm may need to be appointed to act for the lender or, in some cases, for both lender and borrower.
The borrower should request a clear written explanation covering:
- whether the original firm can continue acting for the borrower;
- whether another firm must be instructed;
- the likely additional fees;
- which work will need to be repeated;
- the effect on exchange and completion dates; and
- who will communicate with Bank of Ireland.
Find a conveyancer working with Bank of Ireland instructions
Search by postcode or town before instructing a firm. Confirm panel status, experience, availability and the complete legal fee directly with the conveyancer.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal, financial or mortgage advice. Lender-panel membership and mortgage requirements can change. Confirm the position directly with the conveyancing firm and Bank of Ireland before relying upon it. About Conveyancing and LenderMonitor are independent of Bank of Ireland.