Blogs

Your Protection Should Evolve as Your Life Does

For many people, protection is arranged at a significant life event. Buying a first home. Starting a family. Taking out a mortgage. Launching a business. Once the policies are in place, they are often filed away and forgotten. ...

Education Hub

A Lasting Legacy Is About More Than Passing on Wealth

When families begin talking about succession planning, the conversation often turns quickly to inheritance tax. How much could be payable? What reliefs are available? How can assets be passed on as efficiently as possible? These are important questions, but they...

Taking Silk: When a Drop in Income Reflects Career Progression, Not a Weaker Practice

Taking silk is one of the most significant milestones in a barrister’s career. Yet the period surrounding that progression can create an unusual position from a mortgage perspective. Professionally, the barrister may be advancing towards one of the most senior stages of practice. Financially,...

Moving from the Self-Employed to the Employed Bar: What Does It Mean for Your Mortgage?

For many barristers, moving from self-employed practice into an employed role marks a significant professional change. It may mean joining a law firm, financial institution, company, regulator or another organisation where their experience can be applied within a salaried environment. From a mortgage perspective, that transition...

A Tax Bill Is a Deadline, Not Necessarily a Liquidity Crisis

A substantial tax bill does not necessarily indicate a financial problem. For a self-employed barrister, it can arrive at a time when their practice is performing strongly, significant fees are outstanding and their wider financial position remains robust. The challenge can simply be timing. There is...

The Two-Year Accounts Myth: Can You Get a Mortgage Without Two Years of Self-Employed History?

One of the most persistent misconceptions surrounding self-employed mortgages is that two years of accounts are always required before a lender will consider an application. For barristers, that assumption can create an unnecessary barrier. The transition from pupillage into tenancy marks a recognised stage in a...

Taking Tenancy Changes Your Career. It Does Not Necessarily Put Your Mortgage Plans on Hold.

Taking tenancy is a significant milestone in a barrister’s career. Pupillage is complete. You have secured your place in chambers and are beginning the next stage of developing your own practice. Professionally, it can feel like the point at which your career becomes more established. ...

“Come Back When You Have Two Years of Accounts”

Why Pupil Barristers Should Not Assume a Mortgage Is Out of Reach One of the conversations I regularly have with pupil barristers starts with the same assumption: “I’m in pupillage, so I won’t be able to get a mortgage yet.” Often, they have already...

A Drop in Income Is Not Always a Red Flag: Mortgages for Barristers With a Lower Earnings Year

For a self-employed borrower, a fall in income can quickly become a focal point during a mortgage application. For a barrister, however, a lower year does not necessarily mean a weaker practice. Income at the Bar can fluctuate. The timing of work, billing and...

Protecting the Career That Pays for the Mortgage

Why Barristers Should Consider Protection and Mortgage Advice Together When arranging a mortgage, the conversation naturally focuses on the borrowing. How much is appropriate? How should the mortgage be structured? What will the monthly commitment look like? For barristers, I believe another question deserves to sit alongside...