Who needs the advice on a Skipton Income Booster mortgage
Skipton's paperwork calls the person on the title deeds the proprietor borrower and everyone else on the mortgage a supporting borrower. Up to four people can join the application, and there is no restriction on how they are related, though the classic case is a parent joining a child's mortgage. The proprietor must live in the property; supporting borrowers may live there or not, and that choice decides the paperwork.
Every supporting borrower is fully liable for the whole mortgage while owning nothing, which is exactly the situation lenders require independent legal advice for. The advice must come from an adviser with no connection to the transaction: your own conveyancer on the purchase cannot give it, and Skipton's own form tells the conveyancer that where a conflict of interest exists, the supporting borrower must be sent to a different firm at their own cost.
Not living in the property: the Form of Acknowledgement and Solicitor's Certificate
For a non-occupying supporting borrower, Skipton prescribes a two-part document. In the first part, the supporting borrower confirms that at a private meeting, not attended by anyone who benefits financially from the loan, their adviser warned them of the amount of their potential liability, the purpose and amount of the loan, the interest rate, term and repayment details, and the risks: that they can be held liable instead of or as well as the other borrowers, and that the property securing the mortgage can be lost.
The second part is a nine-point certificate from the adviser to Skipton. Among other things it confirms that the adviser acted for the supporting borrower alone with no conflict of interest, received the mortgage offer, deed and conditions, verified the supporting borrower's identity, witnessed their signature on both the mortgage deed and the acknowledgement, and gave the advice at a face-to-face meeting with no other party in attendance. Skipton's form allows the advice to come from a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer or a chartered legal executive.
Living in the property: the Occupying Supporting Borrower Deed of Consent
A supporting borrower who will live in the home signs a stronger document. As well as consenting to the mortgage being registered, the deed postpones any rights or interest they have in the property, including matrimonial or civil partnership home rights under the Family Law Act 1996, behind the lender's, charges any interest they do have as additional security, and commits them to leave the property if the lender ever obtains a possession order.
The deed carries its own advice acknowledgement: at a meeting not attended by the proprietor borrower or the lender, the solicitor must explain the contents, nature and legal and practical effect of signing, warn of the risks, and confirm they were satisfied the supporting borrower understood the obligations before signing. The solicitor witnesses the deed, and Skipton's form is explicit about independence here: the witnessing solicitor must act for the supporting borrower and must not be a spouse, partner or relative of either borrower, nor an adviser to the proprietor borrower.
Remote or in person?
Skipton's certificate for non-occupying supporting borrowers describes the advice being given at a face-to-face meeting, with the adviser witnessing signatures on the deed and the acknowledgement, and the deed of consent likewise has the solicitor sign as a witness. As with other lenders whose forms assume physical presence, firms handle this differently in practice: some treat a video appointment as satisfying the meeting requirement and arrange the witnessed signing separately, while others prefer a single in-person appointment that deals with everything at once.
The practical advice is to settle it when booking: tell the solicitor it is a Skipton Income Booster case, say whether you will be living in the property so they know which document applies, and ask how they handle the witnessing. Solicitors listed here show remote and in-person availability side by side, so you can choose a firm whose process fits.
Cost and how to avoid delay
ILA for a JBSP supporting borrower is a fixed-fee service, typically £150 to £250 per person at standard turnaround and more for 48-hour or 24-hour service. Each supporting borrower needs their own advice, so two supporting borrowers means two fees and two certificates.
The advising solicitor needs the mortgage offer, deed and conditions, which come through once the conveyancing is underway, so the requirement tends to surface mid-transaction with a completion date already set. On a remortgage, Skipton's criteria also flag that extra legal work such as a deed of postponement can arise at additional cost. Book the advice as soon as the requirement is raised, and if the deadline is tight, filter the comparison for Express (24h) or Fast-Track (48h) service.
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Compare solicitorsFrequently asked questions
Which Skipton document will I be asked to sign?
It depends on whether you will live in the property. A supporting borrower not living there signs the Form of Acknowledgement and Solicitor's Certificate; one who will live there signs the Occupying Supporting Borrower Deed of Consent, which also postpones their rights in the home to the lender's. Your conveyancer or broker will confirm which applies, and it is worth telling the advising solicitor when you book.
Can the person buying the house sit in on my appointment?
No. Both Skipton documents require the meeting to happen without the other parties: the acknowledgement describes a private meeting not attended by anyone benefiting from the loan, and the deed of consent a meeting not attended by the proprietor borrower or the lender. The advice is for the person taking on liability without ownership, alone.
Can the advice be done by video call?
Ask the firm when booking. Skipton's certificate describes a face-to-face meeting and has the adviser witness your signature on the deed and the form, so some firms run the advice by video and arrange the witnessed signing separately, while others prefer one in-person appointment. Neither approach is wrong, but it affects your timeline.
Does it have to be a solicitor?
For the non-occupying form, Skipton accepts a solicitor holding a current practising certificate, a licensed conveyancer or a chartered legal executive, acting for the supporting borrower alone. The deed of consent for occupying supporting borrowers is witnessed by a solicitor. Every firm listed on ILA Comparison is SRA-checked, which satisfies the requirement either way.
How much does the advice cost?
Typically £150 to £250 per person as a fixed fee at standard turnaround, rising for 48-hour or 24-hour service, and each supporting borrower pays their own fee. Every solicitor on ILA Comparison shows a fixed price for JBSP work upfront, so you can compare before booking.
Does this apply to properties in Scotland?
Skipton's acknowledgement form covers Scottish lending too, where the security is a Standard Security rather than a mortgage deed. The solicitors listed here are SRA-regulated in England and Wales, though, and this guide describes the England and Wales process; a Scottish transaction needs a Scottish solicitor.
This guide is general information about how independent legal advice works in England and Wales, not legal advice on your situation. Lender requirements vary; always check your offer conditions. For advice you can rely on, speak to an SRA-regulated solicitor.