Home loans for lawyers
Quantum Finance arranges home loans for lawyers in Perth. We learn how your legal work is paid, then check whether any of 40+ lenders would waive lenders mortgage insurance for you. That is the insurance you normally pay to protect the lender when you have saved less than twenty per cent.
- We check which lenders might waive the insurance for lawyers.
- We work out how each lender reads your salary, bonus or practice income.
- We compare 40+ lenders, because each sets its own rules for lawyers.
- Subject to lender approval and your circumstances.
- Years broking
- 21+Years broking
- Loans settled
- $1B+Loans settled
- Credit licence
- ACL 389083Credit licence
- Lenders compared
- 40+Lenders compared
Our awards and recognition
Awarded by the people who see every broker’s numbers
Diamond Club
2026
Money Quest Group
Diamond Club
2025
Money Quest Group
Diamond Club
2024
Money Quest Group
Mortgage Broker of the Year
2023/24, National, highest dollar volume settled
Southern Cross Broker Network
Excellence in Finance, Gold
2021
PLAN Australia
Excellence in Finance, Gold
2020
PLAN Australia
Hall of Fame
Valued partner, 15 years
PLAN Australia
Elite Broker
2021
Broker Value Proposition
Premium Broker
ANZ
Individual Excellence Award
2016
Specialist Finance Group
Sales Excellence Award
PLAN Australia
Sales Master Award
PLAN Australia
Top 100 Brokers
Four times
Australian Broker
What we do for lawyers
The work we do when you are a lawyer buying a homeA home loan for lawyers is a standard home loan written under a lender's policy for legal professionals. The work is finding the lenders whose rules fit your role and pay, then comparing the whole loan, not just the waiver.
On most home loans the lender pays us a commission, so you usually pay us nothing. Where a fee would apply, we tell you before you apply, in writing.
Sometimes no lender's waiver conditions fit. We say so early, then compare our whole panel, the 40+ lenders we can apply to, on their normal terms.
We check whether a lender would waive the insurance for you
Several lenders waive lenders mortgage insurance for lawyers, each with its own conditions, such as a current practising certificate or a minimum income. We check your certificate and income against them, and tell you plainly when none fits.
We confirm the paperwork a lender will ask for
Most lenders want a current practising certificate before a waiver applies, along with payslips or tax returns. We tell you exactly what to gather before anything is submitted, so the application is not held up waiting for a document.
We read your income the way a lender will
A salaried solicitor, a barrister billing through their own ABN (Australian Business Number) and a partner drawing from the firm are each assessed differently. Self-employed lawyers are usually assessed on two years of tax returns, and some lenders count only part of a bonus. We work out what each lender will accept before you apply.
We cost the premium a waiver would remove
Some lenders set a minimum income for the waiver, and a graduate salary may sit under it. We work out the premium you would pay without a waiver, so you can weigh buying now against waiting until your pay rises.
We weigh the waiver against the whole loan
A waiver for lawyers usually goes to about 90 per cent of the property's value. A loan with a waiver can carry a higher rate or fees, and over the years those can cost more than the premium. We compare the whole loan, rate and fees included.
We compare 40+ lenders, not one bank's policy
Lenders differ on which legal roles qualify and on any minimum income. They also differ on how much of the property's value they will lend, called the loan-to-value ratio. A single bank can only show you its own rules.
Work out what a waiver is worth
The premium a waiver would remove, and what you can borrowEstimate the insurance premium a waiver could save you, and how much a lender might lend on your income. Both figures move with how a lender reads your bonus or your tax returns, so treat them as a starting point.
Work out which LVR band you are in
The lender uses its own valuation, which is not always the price you agreed.
What is going towards the property itself, after transfer duty and costs are paid.
80% is where lenders mortgage insurance normally stops applying. Move this to whatever band your lender has told you about.
Your loan-to-value ratio
91.0%
Above 80%, so lenders mortgage insurance would normally apply.
- The loan you would need
- $546,000
- Your deposit as a percentage
- 9.0%
- Deposit for a 80% ratioWhich would leave a loan of $480,000.
- $120,000
- Extra deposit needed to get thereCrossing a band can be worth far more than the dollars suggest.
- $66,000
This tool does not price the premium, and that is deliberate. LMI premiums are set by the mortgage insurers and vary by insurer, lender, LVR band and loan size, so there is no universal table anybody can honestly publish. What you see above is the part that is the same everywhere: where you sit against 80% and what it takes to move. For an actual figure, we run your numbers at the lenders whose insurer pricing suits your ratio and come back with a quoted premium. This is an estimate, not an approval.
Get a real LMI figureWork out what you could borrow
What actually lands in your accounts, so $9,000 a month. Include a partner if you are buying together.
Groceries, fuel, insurance, childcare, subscriptions. Lenders apply a minimum benchmark, so a low figure here will not be taken at face value.
Car, personal, HECS, existing mortgages.
The limit, not the balance.
Lenders count between 2.5% and 3.8% of every card limit as a repayment, whether you owe anything or not.
An example figure to change, not a rate on offer.
Lenders test you at a rate above the one you pay. Three percentage points is the level APRA expects, so you are being assessed at 9.00%.
Used only for the price guide below.
You could borrow around
$684,000
Based on $5,500 a month left over, assessed at 9.00%.
- Monthly income counted$108,000 a year, after tax, divided by twelve.
- $9,000
- Monthly surplus a lender would seeIncome less expenses, commitments and card limits.
- $5,500
- Card limits counted as a repayment3.8% of $0 a month.
- $0
- Assessment rate used6.00% plus a 3.00% buffer.
- 9.00%
- Repayment at the loan rateWhat you would actually pay each month, not the tested figure.
- $4,098
- Rough price guide with your depositStamp duty and fees come out of the deposit, so the real figure is lower.
- $804,000
This is an estimate, not a pre-approval. Every lender counts income, expenses and commitments differently, and the spread between the most and least generous on the panel is often more than $150,000 on the same file. Lending is subject to approval.
Get a real numberEach tool has a page of its own explaining every figure it uses: lmi calculator and borrowing power calculator.
How lenders treat lawyers
Four ways lawyers borrow, and what each one meansLawyers often hear that they can skip the insurance. Some can, with some lenders, and how you are paid decides a lot of the rest.
- Lenders mortgage insurance waiver
Tends to suit
Lawyers with a current practising certificate and less than twenty per cent saved
Worth knowing
Usually up to about 90 per cent of the property's value, and each lender sets its own conditions
- Salary and bonus income
Tends to suit
Solicitors employed by a firm, government or a company
Worth knowing
Base salary is straightforward, and some lenders count only part of a bonus
- Self-employed income
Tends to suit
Barristers and principals paid through their own practice
Worth knowing
Usually assessed on two years of lodged tax returns
- Standard lending policy
Tends to suit
Lawyers who do not meet a lender's waiver conditions
Worth knowing
Every lender we work with is still compared, and the insurance is charged the usual way
You do not need to know which lender's rules fit you. Tell us your role and how you are paid, and we check the panel for you.
Who home loans for lawyers suit
The lawyers we check lender policy forLender policy for lawyers matters most when the deposit is under twenty per cent or the income is not a simple salary. These are the situations that come up most often.
Solicitors buying with less than twenty per cent saved
Barristers paid through their own practice rather than a salary
Lawyers whose pay includes a bonus that one bank would not count in full
Graduate and early-career lawyers whose income is rising faster than their savings
Partners and principals paid from the firm's profits
Lawyers told by one bank that the insurance premium cannot be avoided
How the process works for lawyers
Five steps, with your role and pay checked before step twoWe follow the same five steps as any loan we write. Your practising certificate and income are checked against lender policy before anything is submitted.
Start an application
You send us the basics and we work out what you could borrow and which lenders will look favourably at your situation.
Read this step in full: Start an applicationWhat you need
Income, debts, deposit
Get pre-approved
We put your file to the lender that fits and bring back a pre-approval in writing, subject to lender approval and your circumstances.
Read this step in full: Get pre-approvedWhat we do
Match the lender to your file
Get officially approved
Once your offer is accepted, the lender orders its valuation and issues formal approval.
Read this step in full: Get officially approvedWhat we do
Chase the lender, so you do not have to
Prepare for settlement
We go through the loan documents with you before you sign anything, then coordinate the lender and your settlement agent.
Read this step in full: Prepare for settlementWhat you need
Your questions, asked early
Stay up to date
After settlement we keep the loan under review as rates move and your circumstances change.
Read this step in full: Stay up to dateWhat we do
Review it, and tell you first
Step 1 of 5 · Start an application
About our independent mortgage brokers
The brokers who check lender policy for lawyersIndependent means no franchise above us and no lender owning a share of the business. Nobody upstairs sets a monthly target, so we can tell you when no waiver applies. Your bank has one policy for lawyers; we compare 40+ lenders.
Gavin Harrigan has been broking from West Leederville since 2005. Today it runs on a small team, Gavin Harrigan, Justin Richardson and Xavier Prescott, each with their qualifications on the page. You deal with the person who writes your loan, before settlement and after it.
The work runs from a first home loan, through refinancing and investment lending, out to construction, small developments and commercial property. Same broker, whichever end of that you are at.
- VerifiedBroking since 2005
- VerifiedOver $1 billion in loans settled
- VerifiedAustralian Credit Licence 389083
- VerifiedMoneyQuest accredited
- VerifiedMember of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA)
- Verified40+ lenders on the panel
Fifteen minutes is usually enough to tell you where you stand. No cost, no obligation, and any lending is subject to approval and your circumstances.
Why lawyers choose us
Each lender sets its own rules for lawyers, so somebody should check them allNo franchise and no lender has a say in which loan we recommend to you.
- Included
No franchise, no head office quota
We do not pay a franchise fee, so nobody upstairs sets a monthly target for us to hit. That removes the main reason a broker recommends the wrong loan.
- Included
No lender owns a share of us
The banks have no stake in this business and no claim on where files go. Your bank has one loan to sell you. We do not.
- Included
40+ lenders, one shortlist
We compare 40+ bank and non-bank lenders, then explain why the shortlist looks the way it does. Policy differences decide more applications than rate does.
- Included
We will tell you when the answer is no
If refinancing does not actually save you money, we say so and you leave the loan where it is. A wrong loan costs more than the fee it earns.
- Included
The same broker after settlement
You keep dealing with the person who wrote the loan. We review it as rates and your circumstances change, not once and then never again.
What our clients say
Reviews from people we have written home loans forReviews left by people we have settled home loans for, shown as they wrote them.
Our lender panel for lawyers
Policy for lawyers is set lender by lender. We compare 40+We work with major banks, smaller banks and lenders that are not banks, and each has its own rules for legal professionals. MoneyQuest gives us access to the panel, and 21+ years of writing home loans tells us where to look first.
A selection of the lenders we are accredited with. Ask us who else is on the panel for your situation.
Our home loan guides
Read one before you talk to a lenderPlain-English answers on borrowing capacity, the WA grant with every figure dated to its source, and what pre-approval is worth. Each one carries a broker's name.
Approvals
Credit scores and home loans
What is on your file, how long it stays there, and what a lender does with it.
Read it: Credit scores and home loans
Borrowing power
How much can I borrow?
Income less commitments, tested at a rate higher than the one you would pay.
Read it: How much can I borrow?
First home buyers
The First Home Owner Grant in WA
Who qualifies, what it is worth, and every figure dated to its WA Government source.
Read it: The First Home Owner Grant in WA
Approvals
Home loan pre-approval, explained
What a lender is actually committing to, and what can still undo it.
Read it: Home loan pre-approval, explained
Meet our Perth mortgage brokers
The broker you talk to is the one who writes your loanWe are a team of three: Gavin Harrigan, Justin Richardson and Xavier Prescott. The person who checks your role and pay is the person who submits the application and the person who reviews it later.
Gavin Harrigan
Managing Director
Broking since 2005, four-time Top 100 broker and a PLAN Australia Hall of Fame member.
- Bachelor of Commerce, Applied Finance and Commercial Law, Curtin University
- Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management, AAMC Training Group
- PLAN Australia Hall of Fame member
- Elite Broker status
- Top 100 Brokers, four times
Justin Richardson
Loan Consultant
Business and law background, and a habit of making the process feel simple.
- Bachelor of Commerce, Business Law and Marketing, Curtin University
- Bachelor of Laws (in progress), Murdoch University
Xavier Prescott
Loan Consultant
Fresh qualifications, a competitor's discipline, and a lot of patience.
- Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management
Common questions about home loans for lawyers
Can lawyers get lenders mortgage insurance waived?
Some lenders waive it for lawyers, usually up to about 90 per cent of the property's value. Each lender sets its own conditions, such as a current practising certificate and, with some lenders, a minimum income. We check your certificate and income against each lender's conditions for you.
Do I need a practising certificate?
Most lenders want one before a waiver applies, issued by the Legal Practice Board in WA or the equivalent body in your state. If you do not hold one, a lender may still lend to you on its normal terms. We check which way each lender treats your role.
How do lenders treat a barrister's income?
Most barristers are self-employed, so lenders usually assess them on two years of lodged tax returns rather than payslips. The income they use comes from those returns after your business expenses, so it can be lower than what you bill. We work out what each lender will count before you apply.
Will a lender count my bonus?
It depends on the lender. Some count a bonus in full, some count only part of it, and some want to see it paid more than once. We check how each lender treats yours before we tell you what you can borrow.
Can a graduate lawyer get a waiver?
Some lenders accept early-career lawyers with a current practising certificate, and others set a minimum income that a graduate salary may not reach. It varies by lender, so we check the panel for you. Any loan is subject to lender approval and your circumstances.
Will I get a lower interest rate as a lawyer?
Not automatically. The waiver removes the insurance premium, and the loan that comes with it can carry a higher rate or fees. We compare the rate and fees across the panel before we quote you one.
Related home loans we arrange
Other home loans lawyers ask us aboutMany loans involve more than one of these. If yours does, it is the same broker and the same conversation.
Home Loans by Occupation
Lender policies that recognise your occupation, starting with the insurance waiver.
Learn moreabout Home Loans by Occupation
Low Deposit Home Loans
Buying with less than twenty per cent saved, with every route costed first.
Learn moreabout Low Deposit Home LoansHome Loan Pre-Approval
A conditional lending ceiling before you bid, so agents treat you as a real buyer.
Learn moreabout Home Loan Pre-Approval
The information on this page is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Any figures shown are estimates only. Lending is subject to approval, and to the lender's terms, conditions, fees and charges. Consider whether the information is appropriate for you before acting on it.
Get in touch
Talk to us about your legal work and your loanFill in a few details and you are done. A broker reads them, checks your role and pay against the panel, and rings you back on the number you give us.
Would rather just talk?
Ringing is quicker than waiting for us to ring you, and you get a broker rather than a queue.
1300 813 113