Abbey has declined to reinstate 542 law firm offices removed from its conveyancing panel but will be writing today (27 March) to all those affected by the consolidation exercise. All will have an opportunity to reapply to join a panel consolidating Abbey’s panel members with those of Alliance & Leicester, which Abbey took over last year.

As the Gazette reported yesterday, some 319 firm offices which had ongoing instructions, or instructions in the pipeline, were reinstated to the panel by close of business on Monday this week, with a further 75 set to follow.

In a letter to the profession yesterday, Law Society President Paul Marsh updated solicitors on Chancery Lane’s negotiations with the bank. The Society will shortly provide Abbey with a detailed commentary on the practical implications it thinks arise from the decision to remove 6,050 firms or branch offices from the existing panels of Abbey and Alliance & Leicester, which together comprised some 28,000 offices.

‘It was confirmed to us that Abbey’s staff will be instructed that they cannot tell customers, or give them the impression, that they must change their solicitors,’ he said.

Marsh will report to the profession again following another meeting expected to take place when Abbey has considered that commentary.