Residential conveyancing

The procedure of transferring ownership or certain rights in property from one person to another is known as conveyancing.

Sometimes conveyancing can seem confusing with a maze of technical legal jargon. We guide our clients through the legal complexities, working quickly and efficiently, setting and achieving realistic goals in a timescale to suit our clients.

Buying and selling a property can be a stressful experience. We do our utmost to minimise anxiety and disruption to our clients and work hard to ensure that a move is as smooth as possible. We chase solicitors on the other side of the transaction for updates, work closely with estate agents and financial advisers to ensure that the chain is being progressed keeping our clients updated throughout.

We know for most people buying a home is the biggest transaction and investment you make. Our role is to ensure that our clients get what they are paying for and that they will not discover problems that could impact the use and enjoyment of the property or incur unexpected future costs when it is too late.

New build properties

We specialise in purchasing new build properties and have a wealth of experience in acting for buyers purchasing new build homes all over England and Wales, guiding our clients through the intricacies and complexities in an efficient way.

We are proud to be referred by many Local and National house builders to their buyers. We have a good relationship with numerous house builders and appreciate the need to meet tight deadlines. We work with our clients doing all that we can to ensure that they purchase their home within the timescales set by the house builder without compromising on our service, care and due diligence.

Commercial property

We offer a wide range of commercial property legal services including sales and purchases, both freehold and leasehold. Our work includes acquisitions of office buildings, shops, restaurants, hotels and industrial units.

Working quickly and thoroughly, we appreciate the importance of critical timescales and understand that transactions which are not completed to your ideal timescale often incur additional costs for you or could even result in them falling through. We provide a proactive, personal service, working with our client to assess risks and ensuring that an investment meets all expectations bringing a sensible commercial approach to each transaction.

Leases

The law relating to Landlord and Tenants in commercial and residential properties is complex and technical and we are able to provide professional specialist advice.

We draft bespoke leases and tailor-make our leases to satisfy our clients’ individual requirements. We also advise on authorised guarantee agreements, lease renewals, draft rent review documentation and advise on security of tenure provisions.

Re-mortgaging and
Transfer of Equity

We carry out re-mortgages and transfers of equity (when a person is removed or added to the legal ownership of the property) and work for a variety of clients providing an efficient service whilst taking account of your timescales and personal circumstances. Timescales can be given upon consideration of the paperwork and individual circumstances.

Wills

If you do not make a Will your property and other assets may not pass to whom you want. The future well-being of your family may depend on you having prepared an effective and legally valid Will. Using our specialist knowledge of property and inheritance tax law we will help you cater for a number of different possibilities and prepare a Will which will give you peace of mind and maximise your tax allowances.

Anyone can buy a Will from a local shop and draft it on his/her own. However, there are a number of reasons why this may not be ideal. The main problem with “home made Wills” is that one mistake or omission, no matter how small, may invalidate the whole Will. The intention of your Will may be very simple but the legal formalities and language required are complicated and must be strictly followed.

We realise that the thought of making a Will can be a particularly unpleasant and sometimes daunting one but we will provide you with advice every step of the way. To protect you and your family it is essential to put your affairs in order and make and keep an up to date Will.

Will review

You may have prepared a Will many years ago, but even if you have a Will, with the extensive tax changes that take place and possible differences in your own personal circumstances, it may not reflect your current wishes. You should always update your Will when your circumstances change e.g. a marriage can revoke a Will previously made (unless that Will was made in contemplation of that marriage). A quotation can be provided upon request and consideration of your personal circumstances.

Probate

Personal Representatives are the people named in a Will to act as Executor, or the Administrator for someone who has left no Will. Being a Personal Representative has heavy responsibilities and can be legally challenging. This is quite apart from the fact that after the loss of someone close to you, dealing with these matters may prove personally distressing. With this in mind we will try to relieve the burden of obtaining Probate and help you to ensure that the wishes of the deceased are followed.

Lasting power of attorney

Have you ever considered who would manage your affairs if you became mentally or physically incapable of handling matters yourself?

It is always wise to prepare a Power of Attorney whilst you are fit and well since many people leave it until it is too late. This means that the Court of Protection may then need to become involved.

There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney. One deals with your Property and Financial Affairs. The other type deals with your Health & Welfare.

Most financial institutions will not speak to anyone other than the account holder. Having a Lasting Power of Attorney for property and financial affairs would ensure that the person of your choice, called your Attorney, would legally be able to deal with such financial institutions on your behalf. Your Attorney or Attorneys would also be able to manage your bank and building society accounts, pay your bills and collect your pension. They would also be able to sell your house if that was in your best interests.

If you are concerned about losing control over your financial affairs you can specify your requirements in the document and state that you only want the Lasting Power of Attorney to be effective if you lose capacity.

A Court of Protection application is far more expensive and lengthy than a Lasting Power of Attorney and that is why we advise our clients to make a Lasting Power of Attorney whilst they have capacity. If you have a Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare, again you can choose who you would like to make decisions about your medical care or moving into a care home if you are unable to make the decision yourself.