Colp & Cofa

Originally published 1 February 2014. Updated 8 October 2026.

The Lloyds conveyancing panel portal prompted uncertainty among solicitors when plans for Lender Exchange emerged in 2013 and early 2014. Firms wanted to know what information they would need to provide, what the system would cost and how registration would affect their continued panel membership.

The questions were understandable. A conveyancing practice depends on knowing which lenders it can represent. Unclear instructions about a new panel management process can create both administrative pressure and uncertainty over existing and future work.

Why solicitors were waiting for answers in 2014

The original version of this article reported that Lender Exchange was expected to launch in the first quarter of 2014. Firms had received advance notice of the proposed arrangements and were awaiting further information about implementation.

The stated objectives were to reduce repeated requests for similar information from different lenders and help lenders assess the suitability of firms on their conveyancing panels.

Those objectives did not remove firms’ concerns about cost, additional administration and the relationship between lender checks and the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

For further historical context, see the About Conveyancing article on the concerns raised about Santander and Lloyds conveyancing panel portal costs in March 2014.

What happened after the original article?

Lender Exchange subsequently launched in 2014. Its operator, Decision First, identifies Lloyds Banking Group and Santander as the first lender users of the system.

The portal enables law firms to submit information that participating lenders use when managing their conveyancing panels. Each lender retains responsibility for deciding which firms it accepts.

The rollout also involved different uses of the technology. Our related historical report on Lender Exchange and the HSBC conveyancing panel describes the arrangements announced for electronic instructions in April 2014.

These articles record developments at the time. Firms should check current lender and portal instructions before relying on an old description of registration, charges or document delivery.

Portal registration and lender approval are separate checks

A firm should distinguish between maintaining its portal account and confirming that it can act for a particular lender on a particular transaction.

Lender Exchange’s published FAQs explain that submitting information or paying the administration charge does not guarantee panel acceptance. The lender makes that decision using its own criteria.

CQS accreditation is another separate consideration. It does not itself establish that a firm has satisfied every lender’s panel requirements.

When accepting a Lloyds Bank matter, confirm the relevant firm’s current authority to act, resolve any uncertainty about the office handling the instruction and check the requirements applying to the proposed transaction.

Give someone responsibility for panel information

Panel administration needs a named owner and a reliable backup. It can become vulnerable when reminders go to an unattended inbox or responsibility passes between partners, accounts staff and the conveyancing team.

A practical review should establish:

• Who monitors portal messages and lender correspondence.
• Who checks information before it is submitted or confirmed.
• How changes to the firm are identified and reported.
• Where submission records and supporting documents are retained.
• How unresolved panel issues reach the supervising partner.
• Who covers these tasks during absence or staff changes.

Lender Exchange’s FAQs describe a minimum 90-day confirmation process and the reporting of material changes as they occur. Firms should check their current account requirements and correspondence rather than relying on a calendar reminder alone.

Include panel uncertainty in the risk register

An unresolved panel issue can affect more than the firm’s administration. It may influence whether the practice can accept new work, continue an existing matter or meet a client’s proposed completion timetable.

Record the issue, the matters potentially affected, the action required, the responsible person and the next review date. Update the record when the position changes.

Our earlier article on maintaining a living and breathing risk register explains why the register should respond to events within the practice.

Panel management also benefits from coordination between the conveyancing team and those responsible for firm-wide compliance. See our discussion of an integrated approach to risk management and SRA compliance.

Keep panel administration connected to the conveyancing file

Approval to act for a lender is the starting point. The fee-earner must still consider the mortgage offer, the applicable UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook instructions and any additional instructions received on the matter.

For CQS firms reviewing their procedures, the About Conveyancing guide to drafting a CQS dealing with lender policy provides a useful companion to the firm’s panel administration process.

Staff should know how to escalate a mismatch between the firm’s recorded panel position and an instruction received on a live file. Keep the lender’s response and any conditions with the matter records.

Finding a solicitor for a Lloyds Bank mortgage

Clients looking for a conveyancer can use LENDERmonitor’s Lloyds Bank panel search as a starting point. The directory contains a selection of firms working with Lloyds Bank instructions; it is not the bank’s complete panel list.

A firm missing from the search results is not necessarily excluded from the panel. Confirm the precise office and its current ability to act before instructing or incurring costs.

For a fuller explanation of what borrowers should ask, see Lloyds Bank conveyancing panel: can your solicitor act?

LENDERmonitor is an independent directory. It is not Lloyds Bank’s panel management portal and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lloyds Bank.