Capitas Finance | Chambers

Property finance

Helping you buy your business premises

With access to the UK's leading commercial mortgage lenders, we are able to match your needs to the most appropriate source, and obtain a wide range of innovative and competitive commercial mortgages, secured against your Chamber’s premises, investment property and other offices you wish to invest in.

Commercial mortgages can be arranged for any specific purpose, as part of a large funding requirement. This encompasses tenant buy-outs, corporate acquisitions, refinancing, development finance, short- term bridging or a buy-to-let commercial property investment.

All commercial mortgage cases are supported by professionally prepared credit applications, significantly enhancing the chances of you securing the optimum deal structure.

Acquisition finance

Capitas has the financial expertise to assist in acquiring the assets/shareholding of a competitor Chamber’s.

All too frequently, this can entail diluting value or sacrificing control over your own Chamber’s. However, Capitas can provide Chamber’s with acquisition loan facilities.

Debt financing is an effective method for funding acquisitions (or for planning the intake or departure of a new tenant) as it enables you to achieve a balanced approach to growth while maintaining a favourable debt-to-equity ratio.

We can work with you at every stage of the acquisition process, from initial identification of a suitable target, negotiating the deal and helping you to raise funds, through to the final completion of the deal.

VAT finance

VAT returns can place a burden on a Chamber’s cash flow each quarter, putting pressure on working capital that could be better employed elsewhere.

In the current economic climate managing cash flow is particularly relevant, with many Chambers and Barristers (who are VAT registered), looking at spreading the cost of this liability - as opposed to making a lump-sum payment.

You will have access to the funds required to continually assist with VAT payments to HMRC. Benefits include:

• Funding is available over a three to twelve month maximum term
• Deferred repayments for up to one month
• Payment can be made either direct to you or paid to the HMRC
• Finance one quarter or a full year’s VAT requirement
• Fixed rate agreement allowing you to budget with certainty

Working capital finance

Cash is a scarce resource and should it deteriorate so does an organisation's ability to fund new projects or mergers, reinvest and meet capital requirements and payments.

Our fixed rate unsecured practice loan can be used for all aspects of Chamber’s funding including working capital, without the requirement to utilise existing cash reserves.

Aged debt finance

Barristers can experience short-term cash flow issues due to the length of time debtors take to settle invoices.

A Barristers area of specialism can have a profound influence on the speed in which they receive payment, for example, Crown work is tending to take longer to payout in the current environment.

Capitas provides Chambers with immediate access to funding for Barristers debtor books using a variety of financial products depending on how Chamber’s is structured.

One comprehensive funding facility is Invoice discounting (ID), in that it lets you utilise accounts receivables to secure cash advances. An ID facility allows you to remain in full control of your case ledger, credit control and collection facilities. What’s more you have the option to keep our facilities confidential from your customers should you wish.

• Can be controlled centrally through Chamber’s
• Immediate access to increased funding as soon as you secure additional cases
• No more cash flow headaches, or uncomfortable conversations with your bank
• The added security of healthy cash flow can often enable you to negotiate improved client terms
• You retain control over your sales ledger and client relationships

Alternatively, we can structure an unsecured loan facility based on the strength of your tenants’ determinable future earnings.

• Turns tenants unpaid invoices into cash giving them access to additional funds for personal or business needs
• Terms from 6 months through to 5 years
• No more cash flow headaches, or uncomfortable conversations for tenants with their bank managers
• Chamber’s retain control over it’s sales ledger and debtor relationships

Premises refurbishment & fit-out finance

Unlike many lenders, Capitas will fund up to 100% of the total costs for premises refurbishment and fit-out.

Typically terms are up to five years with fixed or variable rate options.

We also provide a turnkey Project Finance facility that addresses the complexities of a refurbishment or fit-out project which can take many months to complete. Settlement of invoices is based on the contractual payment terms you agree with your building contractor or suppliers. We will never settle invoices on your behalf unless we have your authorisation that the works at various stages have been completed satisfactory. Your finance agreement is not activated until the total project has been satisfactorily completed and you have usage of the building.

The items for which funding is available include the following:

• Fixtures & Fittings
• Mechanical & Electrical items including clean technologies
• IT & Hi-Tech. equipment
• Building remedial works
• Professional services

General asset finance

If you’re thinking about acquiring new business assets, we can help.

Unlike some lenders, we’ll fund up to 100 per cent of your total costs. And with competitive rates, fixed or variable rate options and customised payments schedules, we can tailor the advance to your exact specifications.

We offer many years of hands-on experience in helping Chambers of all sizes invest in business critical assets. These include telecoms systems, photocopiers, furniture, air conditioning, audio visual, commercial shredders, franking machines and much more. We also provide funding to private individuals for certain asset classes including passenger cars, equestrian equipment, marine and aviation.

Chambers management systems & other technology

Capitas Finance offers you a simple and economic way of distributing your costs for your Chambers Management System and other IT products and services over their useful working life.

You can finance virtually any type of application or operating software from any vendors of your choice, either as a stand-alone acquisition or in combination with hardware, professional services and support.

We offer flexible facility structures, customised payment schedules, total solution financing for all aspects of your system proposal, simplified contracts and single-invoice simplicity for all your needs. Benefits include:

• Flexible repayment structures give you immediate and full use of the technology for a minimal outlay
• Services such as training, implementation, data conversion can be included within the financing arrangement
• Repayments can be structured to reflect cash flow requirements
• Fixed interest rate provides certainty of repayments and assists budgeting
• Repayments can be treated as a revenue expense and offset against taxable profit in the case of a legal entity e.g. limited company
• Tax relief on interest at the Barristers highest marginal rate
• Retains existing credit lines and gives you a new source of credit for current and future needs

Benefits of Capitas

Choice, quality and genuine personal service

Your time is valuable and we never waste it. In our experience, Barristers, Senior Clerks and Chambers Administrators have a busy enough job managing case loads without having the added hassle of arranging funding. This is where we can assist.

Capitas has supported both Chambers and individual Barristers since the Company’s incorporation, and understands your needs are unique. No two Barristers’ Chambers are the same – some sets are set up as an Association with members, whilst other sets have incorporated limited companies with senior counsel appointed as directors to manage the costs of premises and support staff. The Tenants remain individually self-employed and share in the running costs of Chambers. To that end we provide asset and commercial finance solutions aimed at assisting different types of organisational structures.

Why should you choose Capitas as your financing partner?

Simply, it's because we offer you:

• Confidentiality: Chambers can be assured of complete discretion in our dealings
• Tailored solutions: We cater for a highly specific market, unlike many other companies
• A pleasing experience: We've simplified the entire financing process, keeping administration and paperwork to a minimum
• Relationship management: We're a proven partner for the Bar, dedicated to your success across not just the life cycle of your business investments and expenses, but the lifetime of our relationship
• Fit for purpose financing: We undertake to listen to your specific requirements and deliver products and services that meet the needs of both individual Barristers and Chambers sets.

Chambers

At Capitas, your Chamber’s objectives become our complete focus and we will assist in its development and growth.

Whatever your priorities Capitas will fund a wide variety of investments and expenses with minimal fuss leaving you free to concentrate on the day to day running of your set.

What we can fund:

• Case management systems and other technology
• General assets
• Premises refurbishments & fit-outs
• Vehicles including sourcing
• Aged Debt
• Working Capital
• VAT
• Acquisitions
• Property ... and more

If you’re considering a commercial loan, finance or operating lease, hire purchase, contract hire, rental, invoice discounting or another specific financial product for Chamber’s, talk to us now.

Our consultants are fully conversant with the regulatory environment you work within and our asset and commercial finance products and services are fully compliant with current legislation.