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I and my teams have acted on both sides of the fence as a developer's solicitor and a panel solicitor (for different developers) exclusively for the last 13 years and dealt with many thousands of sales and purchases. I agree that any conveyancers who have negligently advised their clients deserve whatever may be coming to them, be they 'panel' or 'non-panel' and whether advising on leases or any other matter.

It is disappointing to see such ill informed vitriol aimed at panel solicitors. I expect ill informed nonsense from politicians, but expect better from my fellow professionals. In my experience, around 25% of purchasers go 'off panel', and these 'off panel' conveyancers were always equally as likely to complete on a leasehold house as were the panel conveyancers.

I can't speak for other conveyancers, but whenever I acted for any plot buyers as a panel solicitor, my clients were all clearly advised of the terms of the leases, including the effect of the ground rent escalator on future ground rent payments in cash terms based on RPI. I even provided details of term, ground rents and escalators to lenders who all replied that they were aware of the terms and that they were acceptable.

It is an easy and lazy assumption to just blame panel solicitors for everything. Poor conveyancing standards are endemic irrespective of developer panel status. As I have said on many occasions on these pages, what we need to do is raise the standard of conveyancing generally, not brush it under the carpet and blame it on 'developer panels'.