When ING requires ILA

ING's credit policy follows the standard Australian banking pattern. Independent legal advice is required whenever someone takes on a legal obligation on a loan they don't directly benefit from, or where one party benefits far less than another. In practice, expect ILA to be required for:

  • Family guarantor loans, where a parent or family member uses their property to support a first-home buyer's borrowing.
  • Consenting owners — anyone on the title to a security property who isn't named on the loan.
  • Company and trust borrowers with director or appointor personal guarantees.
  • SMSF property purchases under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, where each member typically signs a personal guarantee.
  • Spouse co-borrowers or guarantors who don't directly benefit from the loan.
  • Refinances and variations that materially change a guarantor's exposure.

For a standard owner-occupier loan in joint names with no guarantor, ING won't usually require ILA. The trigger is the additional party or the structure, not the loan itself. For the national overview, see the independent legal advice certificate guide.

Forms and templates

ING provides its own ILA certificate and guarantee documentation as part of the loan pack. The certificate is standard in substance — it asks the solicitor to confirm they're an admitted Australian legal practitioner, independent of the bank and broker, that they met the client, verified identity, explained the document and witnessed the signature.

Because ING is broker-led, the document pack — including the ILA template — usually reaches you through your mortgage broker rather than a branch. Forward the whole pack to your ILA solicitor before the appointment. If the ING template hasn't come through, ask your broker for it: the meeting can proceed on a generic certificate, but ING's settlement team may ask for it to be re-issued on their form, which is an avoidable delay.

Video appointments and witnessing

As a digital-first lender, ING is comfortable with ILA conducted by audio-visual link, in line with the permanent remote witnessing rules in each state. The solicitor witnesses the wet signature over video, and the original signed documents are returned to the bank or broker by courier.

What ING's settlement team checks is consistent with the other lenders:

  • That the solicitor is admitted in an Australian jurisdiction.
  • That the certificate is correctly completed and dated.
  • That the witnessing clause on the signed documents reflects the correct method (in-person or audio-visual).
  • That originals are received before settlement.

A correctly executed video certificate is accepted without fuss. Most hold-ups are minor technical fixes — a missing date or the wrong witnessing clause — rather than anything to do with video versus in-person.

Processing time and settlement timing

Because ING has no branch network, every document moves electronically or by courier, so building in time for the physical leg matters. Once the wet-signed documents and ILA certificate reach ING's settlement team, review is typically within 1–2 business days.

If your settlement is within the next week, our standard recommendation is:

  • Book ILA 48–72 hours before settlement.
  • Get the wet-signed originals into an overnight courier the same day as the appointment.
  • Have your broker confirm the documents reached ING's settlement team at least 24 hours before settlement.

Same-day ILA is regularly workable with ING provided the signed bundle reaches the bank in time. Confirm the settlement deadline with your broker before relying on it.

Who must attend

ING requires ILA from each person taking on a separate legal obligation. In a typical guarantor structure with two parent guarantors, both attend (usually together, but each receives an individual certificate). In an SMSF with two members and a corporate trustee, each member-director needs their own ILA.

ING's loan offer lists the parties who need advice. If you're not sure, ask your broker before booking — confirming this up front avoids paying for the wrong number of appointments.

Choosing a solicitor

ING doesn't run a closed panel of approved ILA solicitors. Any admitted Australian solicitor with a current practising certificate who is independent of the transaction can issue a certificate ING will accept — so you have complete freedom of choice. Most clients use a fixed-fee online provider because the appointment is fast, the certificate is bank-accepted, the fee is predictable, and same-day slots are available. For what to look for, see our guide to choosing an ILA solicitor.

Your next step

If ING has issued a loan offer that requires ILA, forward the entire document pack — loan offer, guarantee documents, ING's ILA certificate template and ID requirements — to your ILA solicitor as soon as possible. The earlier the solicitor sees the pack, the smoother the appointment.

General information only. This article describes ILA practice we have observed for this lender. We are not affiliated with the bank. Lender policies, forms and processes change frequently — always confirm specific requirements with your broker or the bank's settlement team before booking.