Independent legal advice for mortgages and property finance
Lenders and conveyancers often require someone in a property transaction to be advised by a solicitor who is not acting on the purchase or the refinance. This is that separate advice.
From £275 · one person advised
When this is useful
Situations this service is for
- Your conveyancer has told you that one party must take advice elsewhere because they cannot advise you both.
- You are guaranteeing a mortgage on a property you will not own.
- You are contributing to a purchase but will not be on the title.
- A joint borrower sole proprietor arrangement means the borrowing and the ownership do not match.
- A bridging or development lender requires separate advice as a condition of drawdown.
What we do
The work itself
- Read the mortgage offer, deed and any side documents you have been asked to sign.
- Explain what the lender can do if the borrowing is not repaid, including possession.
- Explain the effect on any interest you have, or expect to have, in the property.
- Set out what happens if the relationship between the parties changes.
- Deal directly with your conveyancer or the lender's solicitors on the mechanics where that speeds matters up.
- Complete the certificate or confirmation the transaction requires, where we are able to do so.
Before you book
What to send us
- 01The mortgage offer and the deed or document you are being asked to sign.
- 02Your conveyancer's or the lender's written requirements for independent advice.
- 03The property address and the names of everyone involved.
- 04Any declaration of trust or agreement about who owns what.
- 05The completion or drawdown date.
What happens
How the work runs
- 01
Confirming the requirement
We start by reading what the lender or the transaction solicitor has actually asked for, because the required form of advice varies between them.
- 02
Identity checks
We verify your identity to the standard the transaction requires.
- 03
A private appointment
We meet you without the borrower or other benefiting party present, so the advice is genuinely independent.
- 04
The consequences, in practice
We cover what happens on default, on sale, on separation and on death, because those are the situations that matter most in property finance.
- 05
Certification
Where the requirements are satisfied, the document is signed and the certificate completed and returned to the party who requested it.
What you receive
Deliverables
- Confirmation of what your lender or conveyancer actually requires.
- A private appointment with the solicitor advising you.
- The completed certificate or confirmation, returned to the requesting party.
Fee
From £275
This price assumes
- One person advised
- Standard security documents and certificate
Included
- Review of the document and any lender or transaction-solicitor requirements
- A private appointment with the solicitor advising you
- Explanation of the legal effect, the obligations and the material risks
- Completion of the certificate where the requirements are satisfied
Not included
- Negotiating the terms of the underlying transaction
- Advice to any other party to the document
- Advice on tax consequences
- Conveyancing on the transaction itself
Prices are indicative minimums for matters within the assumptions shown. We review the document and confirm a fixed fee in writing before any work begins. No legal advice is given during the free initial assessment.
All fees and what changes themQuestions
Common questions
- Why can my conveyancer not advise me?
- Because they are already acting for another party in the same transaction, or for the lender. Independent advice has to come from a solicitor with no interest in the outcome.
- How quickly can this be arranged?
- It depends on the document and the lender's requirements. Tell us your completion date when you enquire and we will tell you honestly whether it can be met.
- Is a video appointment acceptable?
- Often, but not always. Some lenders require a face-to-face meeting for occupier and guarantor advice. We check their requirements before confirming the appointment.
Send us the document and we will confirm whether we can assist.
You will get a straight answer on scope, fee and timing before any work begins.
Enquiries receive a response within one working day.