Blogs

Commercial Finance Should Strengthen Your Business Strategy, Not Just Fund It

For many business owners, commercial finance begins with a transaction. Purchasing new premises. Refinancing an existing property. Expanding into a larger facility. Acquiring an investment asset. The focus is naturally on completing the deal. The most successful...

Education Hub

The Best Inheritance Tax Planning Starts Long Before Tax Becomes the Focus

For many families, inheritance tax only becomes part of the conversation when there is a reason to be concerned. A valuable family home. A growing property portfolio. The sale of a business. A change in legislation. By that...

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. ...

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...