What is a mortgage capacity report used for?

Mortgage capacity reports are most commonly used during divorce or financial separation proceedings. They give the court an evidence-based view of the level of mortgage borrowing each party can realistically obtain. Solicitors usually request the report on behalf of their client to support the financial settlement.

How long does it take to get a mortgage capacity report?

From the point we have all the information we need, reports are typically issued within 1-2 working days. We offer an express option during standard office hours. Call us and let us know your timescale when you speak with us.

Can I get a joint mortgage capacity report with my ex-partner?

Yes. It covers both applicants for a discounted fee of £249. It is especially useful where you both need to demonstrate borrowing capacity at the same time. Just let us know when you speak with us that you require one.

How much does a mortgage capacity report cost?

Our fixed fees are £119 for a nil capacity report, £129 for a single report and £249 for one covering two applicants. Each additional mortgage capacity report scenario is £50. The fee is confirmed upfront and there is no additional cost unless you add scenarios.

Can I get a free mortgage capacity report for divorce?

Not from us, and it is worth being wary of anything offered free. A proper mortgage capacity report means researching named lenders' current criteria against your income, outgoings and maintenance, and it has to stand up to questions from your ex-partner's solicitor. A free online calculator or a quick quote rarely carries much weight in negotiations. Our fixed fees start at £119 for nil capacity and £129 for a single report, and we confirm the fee before any work starts.

How long is a mortgage capacity report valid?

There is no official expiry, but because lending criteria and interest rates move, solicitors and judges generally prefer a report no more than three to six months old. We can refresh your report quickly if your case takes longer.

Is a mortgage capacity report the same as an agreement in principle?

No. An agreement in principle is one lender's indication that it may lend to you. A mortgage capacity report is an independent, whole of market look at your realistic borrowing capacity, written to be relied on in negotiations and legal proceedings rather than to start an application.

How do I obtain a mortgage capacity report?

Call us on 03300 432 428 or book an appointment online. We start with a short call about your financial circumstances and send you a fact find. Once we have your payslips, commitments and maintenance figures, your report is usually issued within 1 to 2 working days. Your solicitor can also instruct us directly on your behalf.

Mortgage Capacity Report for Divorce

Q: Does a mortgage capacity report need to come from a regulated adviser?

Yes. For the report to be accepted as credible evidence by the courts, it should come from a regulated mortgage adviser. Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 1011890). This is the standard expectation of solicitors and the judiciary.

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About Our Service

What Is a Mortgage Capacity Report and Why Do You Need One?

A Mortgage Capacity Report is a detailed analysis of the level of mortgage you are likely to obtain after divorce or separation. Every report is different, as are every client’s circumstances and objectives.

Going through a divorce is one of the most challenging times in life and financial clarity is crucial when negotiating a fair settlement. Our reports give the court an evidence-based view of what you can realistically afford to borrow.

Each report is written to be used as evidence in financial remedy proceedings, mediation and negotiations between solicitors. The figure is calculated against named lenders in the live market, not a generic online calculator.
Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 1011890). That regulated status carries weight with your solicitor, the opposing party, and the judge overseeing your proceedings.

We prepare mortgage capacity reports for clients and family law solicitors across the UK from our office in Romsey, Hampshire. Call us on 03300 432 428 to talk to a qualified mortgage adviser about your report.

"Every report is built around your unique circumstances and stands up to scrutiny from solicitors, opposing legal teams and the judge."

Helping You Buy Sooner

How Much Do Mortgage Capacity Reports Cost?

Mortgage capacity reports are not free, but we have kept the fixed fees low. Choose the report that fits your situation: confirmation of nil capacity, a detailed single-applicant breakdown, or one report covering both applicants.

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Built Around Your Situation

Each report is built around your unique situation. We use a short questionnaire to understand maintenance commitments, childcare costs, hours worked and your current property position before testing it against current lender affordability models.

Pricing
From £119

Turnaround
1-2 working days

FCA Regulated
No. 1011890

Where a report covers two applicants, both incomes and circumstances are modelled. Especially useful when you both need to demonstrate borrowing capacity at the same time.

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Issued Only To You
or Your Solicitor

Reports are issued only to you (or to your solicitor on your instruction). We do not share your report with anyone unless you have specifically authorised us to.

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Express Turnaround Available

Got an FDR or final hearing coming up? Tell us the date at the start and we will plan the work around it, so your report is with your solicitor in good time. Every report also comes with a phone call to talk you through the results, the lenders we used and any extra scenarios.
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What Every Mortgage Capacity Report Includes

Each report includes a clear summary of your maximum borrowing figure based on today's lending landscape, plus illustrative payments under different interest rate scenarios.

We also set out clearly what the calculations are based on: hours worked, maintenance income, childcare costs, existing mortgage balances and matrimonial assets. Every assumption can be flexed for additional scenarios.

Why it matters:Most reports are issued within 1 to 2 working days of receiving all your information. If your hearing is close, call us during office hours and tell us the date so we can plan around it.

Step by Step

Why Do I Need a Mortgage Capacity Report?

A mortgage capacity report needs to be credible, realistic and accurate, because your ex-partner's solicitor will test it. Here is who writes ours, how long it takes and what each report costs.

How Long Does It Take?

Most mortgage capacity reports are issued within 1 to 2 working days of us receiving your payslips, commitments and maintenance figures. Every report is prepared by a CeMAP qualified adviser at an FCA authorised firm (reference 1011890), so your solicitor knows exactly who stands behind the figures.

Understanding Your Status

Who Completes the Mortgage Capacity Report and Research?

Mortgage capacity reports must be credible to carry weight in legal proceedings. At Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services we have the qualifications and FCA authorisation in place to ensure your report is deemed acceptable by solicitors and legal representatives. Generally a solicitor requests the report on behalf of their client to support the financial settlement, but you can also instruct us directly.

WRITTEN BY

Mr Jamie Alexander, CeMAP qualified mortgage adviser and founder of Alexander Southwell Mortgage Services

FCA authorised, reference number 1011890. Jamie has prepared mortgage capacity reports for family law solicitors, mediators and private clients across the UK, and every report is checked against current lending criteria before it is issued. Last reviewed: October 2026.

Nil Mortgage Capacity Report: £119

Confirmation that you have no mortgage capacity under your current circumstances. Used by solicitors and the courts to formalise a settlement where no further borrowing is realistic. £119.

Single Mortgage Capacity Report: £129

A detailed analysis of your maximum borrowing from across the UK's mortgage lenders. Includes indicative monthly payments, terms and interest rates tailored to your circumstances. £129.

Joint Mortgage Capacity Report: £249

Same as a single report but for two applicants. Crafted to address the intricacies of dual financial profiles, and often used by separating couples to show each party's capacity. £249.

Additional Scenario: £50

Need extra scenarios on top of an existing report? Each additional scenario, such as reduced hours, varying maintenance or different childcare costs, is just £50.

Mortgage capacity report pricing background, Alexander Southwell Mortgages

Download a sample report (PDF)

THE PROCESS

How Your Mortgage Capacity Report Works

A mortgage capacity assessment follows a clear, defined process. From your first enquiry to the delivery of your comprehensive mortgage capacity report, here is what to expect at each stage.

Printed mortgage capacity assessment report with calculator on an adviser desk

Step 1: Initial Assessment

It starts with a short call with a qualified mortgage broker. We listen to your financial situation, explain your options and confirm the fixed fees before any work begins. There are no hidden extras and no additional cost unless you request extra scenarios later.

Step 2: Your Financial Information

We complete a fact find covering your current income, employment, financial commitments, maintenance payments and outstanding debts. Accurate financial details at this stage lead to an accurate mortgage capacity report at the end. Payslips, pension statements and a recent credit report all help us verify the financial data you provide.

Step 3: Lender Research

Your adviser researches your maximum borrowing capacity against current lending criteria from a wide range of mortgage lenders. Because lender criteria differ so much between banks and building societies, this research is what separates a credible assessment from a generic online estimate of your borrowing power.

Step 4: Report and Consultation

You receive your comprehensive report within 1 to 2 working days of receipt of the information needed, complete with mortgage illustrations showing indicative mortgage payments over different terms. We then talk you through the report findings so you have a clear understanding of what the numbers mean for your next steps.

BORROWING FACTORS

What Affects Your Mortgage Borrowing Capacity?

Mortgage lenders do not simply multiply your salary. Affordability is a complex review of your whole financial situation, and these are the relevant factors that carry the most weight in any mortgage capacity assessment.

Income and Employment

Lenders assess all income sources: basic salary, overtime, bonuses, self employed earnings and sustainable maintenance income. Stable employment and consistent earnings increase your borrowing potential, while probation periods or irregular income can reduce it.

Credit History and Credit Score

Your credit history directly affects both the amount you can borrow and the mortgage rates available to you. Missed payments, defaults or heavy credit use can lower your maximum borrowing, so it is worth checking your credit report early, well before your mortgage capacity report is written.

Financial Commitments and Debts

Loans, credit cards, car finance and other financial commitments all reduce mortgage affordability. Lenders deduct these outgoings, along with childcare and council tax, before calculating what you can comfortably repay each month.

Maintenance and Dependants

Maintenance payments work both ways: payments you make reduce your capacity, while payments you receive may count as income with some mortgage lenders. The number of dependants in your household also shapes the assessment.

Deposit, Equity and Savings

The equity released from the family home, along with savings and investments, determines your deposit. A larger deposit unlocks better mortgage rates and can increase the maximum mortgage available to you.

Age, Term and Interest Rates

Your age sets the longest term available, and the term drives affordability: stretching repayments over more years lowers each payment but adds interest overall. Reports include stress testing at higher interest rates, exactly as lenders do.

Detached UK family home representing mortgage borrowing capacity

Want a quick guide before ordering your report? Try our mortgage borrowing calculator for an instant estimate, then let us confirm the true figure against real lender criteria.

DIVORCE & SEPARATION

Mortgage Capacity Reports and the Divorce Process

In divorce cases, an accurate view of each person's financial capacity is essential before assets can be divided fairly. A mortgage capacity assessment gives everyone involved an objective view, helping to divide assets and settle financial disputes without guesswork.

Two sets of house keys beside a document symbolising a divorce financial settlement

Financial Remedy Proceedings and the FDR

Reports are frequently requested ahead of financial remedy proceedings, including the Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) hearing. The judge treats the report as independent evidence of what each person could realistically borrow, which shapes how the final divorce settlement is structured.

Your Spouse's Ability to Borrow

One party will often need evidence of their spouse's ability to rehouse. Where one person wishes to remain in the family home, a report can show whether the other can obtain a mortgage on a new property, informing decisions about future housing arrangements, particularly where child custody depends on where each person can afford to live.

Support for Family Law Solicitors

We regularly prepare reports on the instruction of family law solicitors across the UK. Your solicitor receives a comprehensive report based on evidence, formatted for use in court proceedings and negotiations, and we answer any questions raised about the methodology.

Nil Capacity and Post Divorce Planning

A nil mortgage capacity report is an essential document where one person cannot borrow at all under their specific circumstances. Post divorce, circumstances change: many clients return for a reassessment once maintenance ends, earnings increase or their financial stability improves.

Courts, mediation and Form E

Using Your Mortgage Capacity Report in Court and Mediation

Most of our reports end up in one of three places: a solicitor's file for negotiation, a mediator's table, or the bundle for a financial remedy hearing in the family court. Here is how a mortgage capacity report fits each one, and the rules we follow so the figures hold up when your ex-partner's side looks at them.

Form E and Your Housing Needs

In financial remedy cases each of you completes Form E, setting out your income, outgoings and what you need to rehouse. Your report backs up what you say about your borrowing capacity, so the court is not left weighing up two guesses.

Mediation

If you are using a mediator rather than court proceedings, a report puts real borrowing figures in front of both of you. It is far easier to agree a fair split when you can both see what each of you could borrow to buy your next home.

Single Joint Expert

Sometimes both solicitors agree to instruct one expert jointly instead of each side paying for its own report. If that is being proposed in your case, tell us at the start and we will talk both solicitors through what we can provide.

Updating the Report Before a Final Hearing

Cases can run for months, and lending criteria and rates move in that time. If your report is getting old by the final hearing, we can refresh the figures so the court is working from today's market rather than last spring's.

Child Maintenance at an Exact Figure

We need the exact child maintenance you pay or receive, and whether it should be counted as income. A range is not enough: some lenders use it and some do not, and guessing would mean running and paying for the report twice.

Terms That Run to State Pension Age

Our reports use mortgage terms that end at your state pension age. Stretching a term beyond that to push the figure up is exactly the kind of thing that gets a report challenged as unrealistic, so we do not do it.

A New Partner or a Debt Free Scenario

Some clients want to see what they could borrow with a new partner, or once their credit commitments are cleared. We add these as extra scenarios, clearly marked as prepared at your request, while the headline figure stays based on your actual financial position.

Reports on an Ex-Partner

Solicitors sometimes need to show what the other party could borrow. We can prepare a report on an ex-partner as long as we have their income, liabilities and maintenance details. Secured loans are shown separately from unsecured debts, so nothing is counted twice.

Not sure which report your case needs? Speak to a qualified mortgage advisor on 03300 432 428 and we will point you to the right one before you pay anything.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

NEXT STEPS

Planning Your Financial Future After the Report

Your report is more than evidence for a settlement. It is a financial planning tool that helps you make informed decisions about your financial future and plan ahead with confidence.

From Capacity to Mortgage Offer

When you are ready to obtain a mortgage, we take you from report to application and mortgage offer. As a fee free mortgage broker for standard residential applications, we charge no broker fee for arranging your new mortgage, and we search the whole of the mortgage market on your behalf.

Remortgaging the Family Home

Many settlements end with one person remortgaging to buy out the other's share of equity. We advise on remortgage options, transfers of equity and the mortgage arrangements needed to keep or sell the property.

When to Update Your Report

Lending criteria and interest rates change, so most solicitors treat reports older than three to six months as out of date. If your case runs on, a reassessment or an additional mortgage capacity report scenario (reduced hours or new maintenance arrangements) keeps your evidence current for £50.

Expert Advice Beyond the Report

Whether you need a standard mortgage capacity report today or mortgage advice further down the line, our team of advisers is with you for the whole journey: report, settlement, new mortgage and beyond. Everything starts with one conversation.

Quick Mortgage Capacity Estimator

A rough guide to your potential borrowing range. Your report confirms the true figure against real lender criteria.

Gross annual income (total, before tax)

Monthly commitments (loans, cards, maintenance)

For illustration only, not financial advice and not a guarantee of borrowing. Lenders each apply their own affordability rules, so your true mortgage capacity can differ. Order a report for an accurate figure.

Speak to a qualified mortgage broker about your mortgage capacity assessment today.

Call 03300 432 428

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

FAQ

Mortgage Capacity Report FAQs

Mortgage capacity report example for divorce financial settlement, Alexander Southwell Mortgages

Mortgage Capacity Assessment Report

What Is a Mortgage Capacity Report and Why Do You Need One?

How Much Do Mortgage Capacity Reports Cost?

Why Do I Need a Mortgage Capacity Report?