Mortgage solutions for barristers
It’s all too common for high street banks and building societies to refuse to lend to barristers and other legal professions, such as members of the King’s Counsel (KCs). This is because of the unconventional way in which these legal professions are paid. In addition, factors including substantial practice costs and variable monthly income do not lend themselves to standard mortgage underwriting.
This is where barrister mortgage brokers like Cleerly come into play. Whether you’re looking to purchase a property or remortgage your current one, because we partner with lenders who provide bespoke underwriting, we can offer barristers and other legal professionals tailored mortgage products that consider true earning potential. This includes factors like swift increase in earnings and aged debt.
Our in-depth knowledge of the way in which these legal professions work allows us to expertly put together thorough mortgage applications. In fact, our specialist team of advisors have been helping barristers to buy or remortgage their dream property for over ten years.
If you’re tired of being treated unfairly by high street banks and lenders, you’ve come to the right place. Getting in touch with our mortgage specialists is easy – you can tell us a little bit about your background and receive quotes straight to your inbox using our quick quote form, compare potential mortgages using our online mortgage calculator, or just pick up the phone and give us a ring on 02394 212912.
Introduction
What is a barrister mortgage?
A barrister mortgage is a type of mortgage that has been specifically underwritten to suit the unique financial circumstances of barristers and other contracted legal professions, including but not limited to:
- Barristers
- Members of the Kings Counsel
- High Court Judges
A barrister mortgage can be used for both purchasing and remortgaging purposes.
Eligibility
How to get a mortgage as a barrister
The surest way to get a mortgage as a barrister or contracted legal professional is to apply through a specialist barrister mortgage broker. Through a broker, you will have access to both residential and buy-to-let mortgages, preferential borrowing rates (sometimes over five times your annual income), and both offset and interest-only mortgages.
Once we’ve helped you to find a mortgage that best suits your financial situation, we’ll put together an extensive, detailed application to send to potential lenders. To do this, we’ll need documentation like:
- SA302 tax calculations
- Income and expenditure accounts
- Bank statements
- Potentially a letter from an accountant to provide projection of the current year earnings
If you only have one year of accounts, you should be able to ask your Clerk of Chambers or your accountant for a letter containing a projection of your second-year earnings.
First-time buyers
Getting a barrister mortgage as a first-time buyer
Through a barrister mortgage broker, barristers and other contracted legal professionals can access mortgages with a 95% LTV, helping those who may have only been practicing for a year or so to buy a property that would have been out of reach with high street banks and lenders.
Although the government’s Help to Buy scheme has come to an end, first-time buyer barristers can still put their Lifetime ISA savings towards the deposit of a house up to the value of £450,000.
For those who are keen to get on the ladder but haven’t raised a large deposit, it’s also possible to apply for a barrister mortgage against a shared ownership property. Shared ownership properties give you the option of purchasing 25%, 50%, or 75% of the property, which means you’re only required to raise a deposit against the percentage of the property you intend to buy.
Trusted lenders we work with
