I don't know what Acer meant but paying the lawyer fee twice is not true in any context.
Bank pay for their own lawyer fee. (Lawyer from panel)
You chose your own lawyer you pay your own fee. (Subsidies if available
still apply)
And duckweed, so long you use your money in CPF OA, CPF legal fee is applicable regardless of any lawyer from the bar. And the fee you pay is for the CPF lawyer (of course from their own panel). It 2 different things but your lawyer present you a consolidated bill of course.
Your use of different lawyers between bank and yours have its ground though.
I re-post one of my posting from another thread on "lawyers".
1. The
Seller Lawyer. Simple. (Or Developer Lawyer)
2a. The
Buyer Lawyer or Bank Lawyer, he can
chose to use the bank's panel lawyer, which is acting for the bank interest to act for him as well. This approach usually save on some legal fee since panel usually cheaper and legal subsidy may not in full. (Of course it the bank you going get the financing from..
)
2b. Some prefer their own
Buyer Lawyer. I do, I use those that I'm comfort with especially with PPS which no loan is secure yet. But since nowsady, most conveyancing firms are panel guys, so it ok. They are flexible enough to go direct to the bank for reimbursement of your legal subsidy and you pay only the shortfall. In fact, my last purchase the bank change to my lawyer which happen to be in their panel to have better effect on costing and liasion. My associate also happy, I pull in bank fee to him.
3.
Developer lawyer. Subsale case. Buyer lawyer will liase with developer lawyer about the transaction/transfer & about DPS to PPS & progress schedule percentage, blah blah blah..
4.
CPF Lawyer. So long you touch your CPF you need to pay. The last time I touch before the minimum 53k was more than 10 years back, it may be different now. That time CPF legal fee is fix at $1100 and my lawyer charge me 2%($800+) for a 400K+ property. So total abt $2000 which all can claim from legal subsidy or use CPF.
5.
Foreign Lawyer. For oversea property. Say the condo beside KLCC which just TOP last month and you may need a foreign lawyer to act for your interest. This one a bit complex. Anyway, Malaysia no sub-sale.
Thats all about lawyer for conveyancing purpose. For your buddy, ask him to get the above 2a or 2b to go act for him. Replacement cost, cost diff or simply liquidation damage whatever.. I don't understand & don't believe the lawyer don't know this.
In any case, if a loan had been secure, the bank lawyer will act as well if full 20% had been paid up by buyer.