Blogs

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,...

Education Hub

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...

Built Around the Bar: Why Understanding Barristers Requires More Than Specialist Mortgage Products

I have spent a significant part of my career working with barristers and understanding the financial complexities that come with a career at the Bar. That work began before Henry Dannell, with a simple observation: conventional mortgage underwriting does not always interpret a barrister’s financial position...

Built on Understanding: How Our Work With The Bar Has Helped Define Henry Dannell

When Kem and I founded Henry Dannell, we had a clear view of the type of advisory business we wanted to build. We did not want to be generalists who happened to work with complex clients. We wanted to develop genuine areas of specialism within the...