Independent legal advice
you can act on.
Authorised · No. 8012196Trustpilot
See our reviews →Free first consultation
No obligation
What is Independent
Legal Advice?
Independent Legal Advice (ILA) is a one-to-one consultation with a solicitor who has no connection to the transaction you are entering. Its purpose is simple: to make sure you fully understand what you are signing, the risks you are taking on, and the consequences if things go wrong — before you commit.
Banks, mortgage lenders and other parties routinely insist on ILA where a document carries personal risk. Without a signed ILA certificate from an independent solicitor, many transactions simply cannot complete — which is why most of our clients come to us on a deadline.
At Manor Row, ILA is a fixed-fee service. We review your document in advance, meet you in person at our Bradford office or by video call, explain everything in plain English, and provide the signed certificate — usually within a single appointment.
Which ILA do you need?
Each document carries different risks, so each has its own page. Pick the one you have been sent:
- Occupier’s consent & mortgage forms You live in the property but you are not on the mortgage, and the lender wants your signed consent before it will release the money. We explain what you are agreeing to give up, and sign the certificate.
- Personal guarantees A personal guarantee puts your own money — and often your home — behind someone else’s borrowing. Before you sign, you are entitled to know exactly how far that goes.
- Joint borrower, sole proprietor (JBSP) You are going on the mortgage to help someone buy, but not on the deeds. That means you carry the debt without owning the home — and the lender wants a solicitor to have told you so.
- Transfers of equity A name is going on or coming off the deeds. Whether you are the one leaving, the one joining or the one taking on the mortgage, the paperwork commits you to something — and you should know what before you sign.
- Bridging & secured loans Short-term and second-charge lending moves fast and is secured on property. Most lenders will not release funds until a solicitor has explained the risks to you and signed the certificate.
- Settlement agreements Leaving a job. A settlement agreement only waives your employment claims once an independent adviser has advised you on it — which is why employers usually contribute to the cost.
Why lenders ask for
independent advice
When you sign a document that carries personal risk — guaranteeing someone’s loan, waiving rights in a home, or transferring equity — the other party’s lender usually requires proof that a solicitor with no stake in the deal explained the consequences to you.
That proof is an ILA certificate. We review the document, meet you one-to-one, explain exactly what you are taking on, and sign the certificate your lender needs — usually in a single appointment.
-
01
Bring the document
Send or bring whatever you have been asked to sign — we review it before the meeting.
-
02
One-to-one meeting
A solicitor explains the risks and obligations in plain English, and answers your questions.
-
03
Certificate signed
Once identity checks are done and the document is in order, we complete and sign the lender’s certificate or our own ILA letter.
-
04
Certificate issued
Where everything is in order you leave with the certificate — copies go to you and, if you wish, direct to the lender.
Book your appointment
What happens after you send this
-
1
We call you back Within business hours, to confirm a time and quote your fixed fee in writing.
-
2
We read the document first Send it ahead and the review is done before we meet — usually the difference between one appointment and two.
-
3
One appointment, on your own By video call or at our Bradford office. Where everything is in order the certificate is signed there and then.
What to have ready
- The document itself — The guarantee, consent form, deed or agreement you have been asked to sign — ideally sent to us in advance.
- Photo ID — A passport or driving licence, so we can verify your identity for the certificate.
- Proof of address — A utility bill or bank statement from the last three months.
- Lender / solicitor details — Any covering letter and the details of who requires the certificate, so we can send it directly.
Fixed fee, quoted in writing before you book. Nothing is taken to request an appointment.
Video call or our Bradford office — we check what your lender accepts.
Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, no. 8012196.
Book your ILA appointment
Tell us what you have been asked to sign and when suits you. We confirm a time by phone or email, and send the list of what to bring.
ILA — frequently asked
How quickly can I get my certificate?
How much does it cost?
Can I do it by video call?
Why can’t the other party’s solicitor advise me?
What if the advice is not to sign?
On a lender deadline?
Call us — we can often certify the same week.