Independent Legal Advice (ILA)
“What is independent legal advice?”, “Do I need ILA for my guarantee?” & “Can ILA be done online?”
If you’ve been asked to get Independent Legal Advice before signing something important, a mortgage, guarantee, property deal, or settlement, you’re probably wondering what exactly that means, what the risks are, how much it costs, and who can do it. Jonathan Lea Network is here to give you clear answers, guide you through everything, and provide ILA you can trust.
What is Independent Legal Advice (ILA)?
Independent Legal Advice (ILA) means advice given by a solicitor who is not involved with or connected to the other parties in the transaction. The solicitor’s job is to make sure you, the individual asked to sign, fully understand what you are agreeing to, what your obligations and risks are, and what the document means for you, before you commit.
Some key features of ILA:
- You must be given advice free from influence or pressure. You are entitled to ask questions until everything is clear.
- The solicitor must be independent — they should not act for the lender, or a company, or any other party whose interests might conflict with yours.
- After you receive the advice and decide to sign, the solicitor provides a formal certificate confirming that you have taken ILA. Without that, the document or guarantee may not be valid or may be at risk.
This is not just a formality. Courts, lenders, and other institutions rely on ILA to prevent unfairness, undue influence, or later disputes.
When Do You Need ILA?
Here are situations in which ILA is often required or strongly advisable. If you are in one of these, it’s very likely you need ILA.
| Situation | Why ILA is Required or Helpful |
| Personal guarantees or director’s guarantees | If you guarantee someone else’s debts (business, company, or loan), you could be held personally liable. The lender needs assurance you understand what you might lose. |
| Third-party mortgages or charges over property you own | If someone else’s borrowing will use your property as security, you need to know how that might affect you. Lender will often insist on ILA. |
| Settlement agreements (e.g. employment law) | These can release rights or impose obligations; it’s vital you understand them, especially if someone else (employer etc.) benefits from them. |
| Transfer of equity or gift-type transactions | If you are giving up part of your ownership, allowing someone else to enter your property mortgage, or otherwise dealing in property, there might be legal, financial, tax consequences you should understand. |
| Occupier’s consent forms | Sometimes a property owner must consent to mortgages or loans on property they live in. Lenders often require the owner gets ILA to ensure they understand the implications. |
Sometimes ILA may be required even if not explicitly demanded by a lender or solicitor, to avoid risk, particularly if there is a power imbalance (e.g. family, business relationships) or unusual complexity.
What Happens If You Don’t Get ILA When It’s Required
Failing to get valid ILA when it is required can have real, serious consequences:
- The lender or other party might refuse to accept the document or guarantee, delaying or preventing the transaction.
- Later, in court, you may not be able to enforce certain rights, or you may try to challenge the document by saying you did not understand it, or that you were unduly influenced. Without a certificate from independent advice, those arguments are much weaker.
- If there is a dispute, you may be liable for financial losses or legal costs that could have been avoided with proper advice.
Jonathan Lea Network helps you avoid all of these risks by ensuring your ILA is done correctly, documented properly, and clearly understood.
How Jonathan Lea Network Delivers Independent Legal Advice
We structure our ILA services so you feel supported, informed, and confident every step of the way. Our process is designed to be efficient, clear, and cost-transparent.
Step-by-Step Process
- Initial Consultation & Document Review
You send us whatever documents you’ve been asked to sign, plus any explanatory material from the lender or third party. We review what’s involved: what obligations, liabilities or risks they impose, and whether we think ILA is needed or sufficient.
- Advice Meeting (In Person or Remote)
We arrange a meeting for you to meet alone (without the other party present) with one of our solicitors specialised in ILA. We explain in plain English what you are signing, what the legal consequences are, and any alternatives. We encourage questions, ensure you understand everything.
- Issuing the ILA Certificate
Once you are satisfied, we issue a formal certificate stating that we have given you independent legal advice, that you understand the document, and that you are signing voluntarily. We also keep record of the advice given in case it is needed later.
- Optional Further Support
If changes are needed, or you want modifications to the terms, or there are unexpected consequences (financial, tax, estate), we can also advise or negotiate amendments with the other party if you so instruct us.
What Makes Our Service Strong, Trusted, Different
- Teamwork of specialists: Our ILA solicitor works closely with colleagues experienced in property law, finance, family settlements etc., so you benefit from multi-disciplinary knowledge if complex securities or guarantees are involved.
- Value for money: We offer fixed fee arrangements whenever possible, honest assessment of costs up front, and options that suit your urgency (standard vs expedited). You know what you’ll pay and when.
- Accessible advice: We use clear, simple language, avoid unnecessary legal jargon, provide summaries, explain legal terms when needed, so that you really understand.
- Flexible delivery: Meetings can be in person, video call or over the phone (where permitted), to fit your schedule and preference. We also support remote documentation where acceptable under law.
- Regulatory compliance and professionalism: All our solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). We follow the latest rules, case law and best practice to ensure the advice is valid and will be accepted.
What ILA Meetings Usually Cover: Key Topics
When you sit with our solicitor, you can expect to discuss:
- What each document means: obligations, rights, penalties, deadlines and possible outcomes, especially what happens if things go wrong (missed payments, defaults etc.).
- What you might lose: for example equity in your home, liability for someone else’s debt, or becoming responsible for repayments.
- Whether there are alternatives: perhaps a different guarantee, or terms that better protect you, or arrangements to limit your liability.
- The financial and longer-term consequences: tax, inheritance, impact on credit record, what happens if business fails.
- Any legal or contract terms that are unusual or particularly burdensome: fine print, interest rate variations, power to alter terms, what happens in default.
- Ensuring you understand the choice: that agreeing is voluntary, without pressure, and you have had enough time to consider.
Costs for Independent Legal Advice & How Long it Takes
At the Jonathan Lea Network, costs begin at £350.
| Factor | What Affects the Cost / Time |
| Complexity of document(s) | More pages, lots of legal or technical terms, many parties involved, or complex guarantees increase the work needed. That means higher cost and possibly longer time. |
| Urgency | If you need ILA on a tight deadline, there may be expedited service with some additional charge. But we aim to offer options so you can choose what suits your time and budget. |
| Number of people needing advice | If more than one person needs ILA (e.g. joint borrowers or co-guarantors), then multiple certificates may be needed; costs may adjust accordingly. |
| Whether remote or in-person | Remote (video/phone) may reduce travel/time costs sometimes, but only where permitted by the lender or document requirements. In-person may take longer if location or scheduling is constrained. |
Typically, for many straightforward cases, once we have your documents and instructions, we can complete ILA and issue the certificate within 1-2 working days. When you need it quickly, we will do what we can to speed up.
How to Instruct Jonathan Lea Network for ILA
Here are the steps to get started with us:
- Get in touch: call, email or use our online contact form. Tell us you need Independent Legal Advice, and send us the relevant documents.
- Preliminary check: we review the documents to check whether ILA is indeed required, what needs attention, whether you need someone independent etc.
- Quote and timeline: we give you a fixed fee quote (or estimate), tell you how long it will take, and arrange meeting time that suits you.
- Advice meeting: you meet with one of our ILA-specialist solicitors, either face-to-face or remotely if permitted. We explain everything clearly, answer your questions.
- Certification & follow up: once advice is given, we issue the necessary ILA certificate, ensure you have what you need for your lender or transaction, and keep records in case you need evidence later.
Common Fears, Goals & How Jonathan Lea Network Helps
Here are some of the biggest fears people have when they are told they need ILA and how we address them.
| Fear / Concern | How We Help |
| Fear of hidden clauses or obligations you didn’t notice until too late | We go through everything with you in detail, highlight tricky parts, explain consequences. We don’t assume you understand; we make sure you do. |
| Worry of delays or missing deadlines because everything depends on this advice | We work proactively: once you supply documents, we act quickly; we offer expedited options; we keep you informed. |
| Concern about cost growing unexpectedly | We quote clearly up front, list what is included, and what might add extra cost. We don’t surprise you. |
| Anxiety that advice might favour the lender or other party | Our solicitor is independent. Your interests are front and centre. We explain things from your perspective. |
Your goal when getting ILA is normally to proceed with the transaction safely, understand what you are committing to, avoid future disputes, and protect your own assets or rights. We help you achieve exactly that.
Why Jonathan Lea Network Is the Right Choice for Your Independent Legal Advice
- We combine legal expertise and approachable service: you get strong advice, without feeling overwhelmed.
- Our solicitors are well-versed specifically in ILA matters, understand lender-requirements, guarantee risks, property law, commercial implications etc.
- Value driven: fixed fees, transparent process, no surprises. We work as a team to make your ILA efficient.
- Flexibility: we adapt to your circumstances (remote, in person, expedited) always with full attention.
- Strong track record: we have successfully completed many ILA matters, helped clients avoid legal exposure, and ensured transactions proceed smoothly and legally.
Contact Us
If you’ve been asked to sign a guarantee, provide a legal charge over your property, or accept any legal commitment that might affect your finances or security, don’t sign it before getting Independent Legal Advice you can trust. Contact Jonathan Lea Network today for a fixed-fee quote, and let us walk you through every clause so you understand what you’re committing to. Call us now or fill in our secure online form — protect your interests with expert guidance.
Call us at +44 (0)1444 708 640
Email: wewillhelp@jonathanlea.net
Or book an appointment via our website
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
Can my own solicitor provide my ILA if they have already acted for the lender or other party?
-
No. If your solicitor has a role or prior involvement with the lender, bank, or any other party to the agreement, that creates a conflict of interest. Independent Legal Advice requires a solicitor who does not have any such conflict, so you may need to use a different lawyer. We can carry out that check for you.
-
Is the ILA certificate legally enforceable in court?
-
Yes, provided it meets the requirements (signed by a qualified, independent solicitor, reflects that you understood the document, that you are acting with free will). It becomes a key piece of evidence if there is ever a dispute about whether you understood what you were signing.
-
Do I have to pay tax advice or get separate financial advice as part of ILA?
-
Not necessarily. ILA covers legal risks and implications; it may touch on financial or tax issues, but we are not tax advisers. If tax or financial implications are significant, we will tell you so, and recommend you seek specialist advice.
-
Can ILA be done entirely online or remotely?
-
In many cases yes, especially for documents acceptable to lenders or authorities that allow remote advice. But some documents or lenders require in-person advice or signature. We will tell you what is accepted in your specific case, and arrange accordingly.
-
What if after the ILA I discover the agreement doesn’t reflect what I was told?
-
If the agreement has discrepancies, misrepresentations, or you believe the terms are unfair or not what you were led to expect, you may have grounds to challenge it — depending on timing, evidence, and whether the other party has breached their duty. That is why reviewing documents before signing is so important; we help you catch issues early.
What Our Clients Say
Request a Free
No Obligation
20 Minute Call
This introductory call is to discuss your matter so we can provide a well-considered quote.
However, please be aware that the free 20 minute call is at our discretion. If you are more looking for advice and guidance on an initial call, we may instead offer a one-hour fixed fee appointment instead.
Our fixed fee appointments are between £200 – £300 + 20% VAT (£240 – £360 inclusive of VAT) depending on the seniority of the solicitor taking the call.