Edward Young Solicitor & Notary Public
020 7499 2605 Get your certificate

Independent Legal Advice · England & Wales

Your lender needs you to take independent legal advice. A solicitor can sort it — fast.

If you've been asked to sign an occupier's consent, a personal guarantee, or a buy-to-let mortgage document, most lenders require you to take independent legal advice first. I provide that advice and the signed solicitor's certificate — by secure video, often the same day.

Start now See how it works
✔ Advice from a practising solicitor ✔ Secure video & online ID ✔ Signed solicitor's certificate ✔ Nationwide (England & Wales)

What is independent legal advice for a mortgage? It's advice from a solicitor who acts only for you — not the lender or the borrower — so you understand what you're signing and the risks before you commit. The lender then requires a signed solicitor's certificate confirming you were advised independently. It protects you, and it satisfies the lender's condition so the mortgage can complete.

What I advise on

The mortgage documents lenders won't accept without independent advice

If a lender, broker or conveyancer has told you to "get independent legal advice", it's almost always one of these. I cover them all.

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Occupier's consent

An adult (18+) living in a property being mortgaged or remortgaged, but not on the title, must usually sign a consent form postponing any interest to the lender — and take independent advice first.

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Personal guarantees (buy-to-let)

Directors and shareholders giving a personal guarantee for a limited-company or SPV buy-to-let mortgage need independent advice and a solicitor's certificate before the lender will proceed.

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Guarantor mortgages

Standing as guarantor on someone else's mortgage — often a parent for a child — means signing up to real obligations. Independent advice makes sure you understand them.

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Joint Borrower, Sole Proprietor (JBSP)

Where you're helping someone borrow but won't be an owner on the title, lenders require you to take independent legal advice on what you're taking on.

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Deeds of consent & postponement

Deeds that postpone or waive an interest in a property to the lender — signed correctly, advised on properly, certified for your lender.

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Not sure which you need?

Send me what your lender or broker asked for. I'll tell you exactly what's required and how quickly it can be done.

Simple & remote

How it works — usually done the same day

No travelling, no waiting weeks. The whole process is handled online and by video, wherever you are in England & Wales.

1

Tell me what's needed

Send the document your lender, broker or solicitor has asked you to sign, and I'll confirm what's needed and the earliest slot.

2

Verify your ID online

Quick, secure identity check on your phone — no need to post documents or visit an office.

3

Speak to the solicitor by video

A short video call where I explain the document, answer your questions, and make sure you're advised properly and independently.

4

Get your signed certificate

I sign and send the solicitor's certificate straight to your lender or conveyancer — often the same day — so your mortgage can move forward.

Why Edward Young

A solicitor on the phone — not a call centre

  • ✔ Your advice comes from a practising solicitor with decades of experience — not a paralegal or an online form.
  • ✔ A clear, agreed process from the outset — you always know what happens next.
  • ✔ Fast — most certificates are issued the same day, so you don't hold up completion.
  • ✔ Fully remote and nationwide across England & Wales, by secure video and online ID.
  • ✔ Covered by professional indemnity insurance for your peace of mind.

Speak to the solicitor

Tell me what your lender needs

Send over the document you've been asked to sign, and I'll confirm exactly what's required and book you in — usually the same day.

Get started

Brokers & conveyancers — a reliable ILA partner

Acting on the transaction yourself and conflicted out of advising the guarantor, occupier or JBSP party? Refer them to me for fast, reliable independent legal advice and a certificate that won't hold up your completion.

Set up a referral

Questions

Independent legal advice for mortgages — FAQs

Why does my lender want me to take independent legal advice?
Lenders require it so that anyone signing away rights, or taking on an obligation like a guarantee or a consent, has understood it after advice from a solicitor acting only for them. It protects you from signing something you didn't understand, and it protects the lender's security — which is why it's a condition of the mortgage.
How quickly can I get my certificate?
In most cases the same day. Once you've sent the document and completed the online ID check, the video call and signed certificate can usually be done within hours, so you don't delay your completion.
Do I have to come to an office?
No. The whole process is remote — online identity verification and a video call — so it works wherever you are in England & Wales.
Who will actually advise me?
Edward Young, a practising solicitor. You deal with the solicitor directly — not a call centre or an unqualified administrator.
Is this the same as conveyancing?
No. This is independent legal advice on a specific document your lender requires — not the conveyancing of the property itself, which your own solicitor or licensed conveyancer handles.

Been told you need independent legal advice?

Send over the document your lender or broker asked you to sign, and I'll come straight back with what's needed and the earliest appointment.

Call 020 7499 2605

Prefer email? ey@notarypubliclondon.co.uk