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Independent legal advice
you can act on.

Certified, impartial advice on personal guarantees, mortgages, transfers of equity and occupier consents.

Book an appointment ↓ 01274 608 608
Independent Legal Advice
SRASRA Regulated
Authorised · No. 8012196Trustpilot
See our reviews →Free first consultation
No obligation
Fixed fee — quoted upfront
Same-week appointments, usually
In person or video call
Independent Legal Advice

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.

When you’ll need ILA

The most common documents we certify:

  • Occupier consent / waiver forms You live in a property being mortgaged or remortgaged but are not on the mortgage.
  • Personal guarantees You are guaranteeing a business loan, lease or someone else’s borrowing.
  • Transfers of equity Adding or removing a name on a property’s title, often on separation or gifting.
  • Bridging and secured loans Short-term or second-charge lending where the lender requires certified advice.
  • Joint borrower, sole proprietor mortgages You are named on the mortgage but not on the property deeds.
  • Settlement agreements Independent advice required before signing an employment exit agreement.
What it is

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.

  1. 01

    Bring the document

    Send or bring whatever you have been asked to sign — we review it before the meeting.

  2. 02

    One-to-one meeting

    A solicitor explains the risks and obligations in plain English, and answers your questions.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Request an appointment

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 — usually the same working day — and send the documents to bring.

What you have been sentFour quick questions, then your details.
We check their requirements before you come in.
Tell us even if it is tight — we will be straight with you.
Sending it ahead is usually the difference between one appointment and two.
How to reach you
So we can confirm your slot quickly.
Where the confirmation and the list of what to bring are sent.
When suits youA preference, not a booking — we confirm the slot with you.

No payment is taken now. We confirm your slot by phone or email, then send the documents to bring.

Common Questions

ILA — frequently asked

How quickly can I get my certificate?
Often within the same appointment. Where the document is complete, sent to us ahead of time and your identity checks are done, most clients leave their meeting with the signed certificate, and we can usually offer an appointment the same week.
How much does it cost?
ILA is a fixed fee, quoted in writing before you book and based on the document you have been asked to sign. There are no hidden extras, and no payment is taken until your appointment is confirmed.
Can I do it by video call?
Often, yes. Many lenders accept remotely-witnessed ILA. We check your lender’s requirements first, then meet you by video and send the certificate as they require.
Why can’t the other party’s solicitor advise me?
Because they act for the other side, they have a conflict of interest. Lenders require your adviser to be completely independent; whether a certificate is accepted also depends on your particular lender’s requirements, which we check before your appointment.
What if the advice is not to sign?
That is the point of ILA — the decision stays yours. We set out the risks clearly; if you still wish to proceed, we can usually certify that you received advice and chose to sign.

Further reading

Why does the lender insist on independent legal advice? What the certificate is actually for, why the other side’s solicitor cannot sign it, and what a proper appointment should cover.

On a lender deadline?

Call us — we can often certify the same week.

Book an appointment 01274 608 608
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