Services

Domestic Conveyancing

We can help to guide you through the confusion and complexity involved in buying and selling your house.

We recommend that you contact us as soon as possible after you have decided to embark upon these transactions. We can then arrange independent advice in connection with surveys and valuation, mortgages, life assurance and a number of other features about which you will need to know.

We shall explain to you in outline the step which will be involved, from the initial stages of obtaining the title deeds and preparing an offer, to completing the transaction on the date when you move into your new home. Thereafter, of course, we shall deal with all the necessary stamping of the purchase deed, registration of your title, dealing with the issue of a new share certificate where a management company is involved and generally ensuring that all the necessary procedures have been complied with on your behalf.

If after the transactions have been completed you need to take advice with regard to your obligations under any title conditions which may affect the property, the building insurance, boundary rights and so on, we are available to assist you.

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Commercial Conveyancing

For our business clients our services extend to the sale and purchase of business premises which would normally include office, shops, factories, warehouses and so on. This may also involve granting to a Tenant or taking from a Landlord a Lease of commercial premises and assistance in very complex procedures concerning renewal, rent reviews, dilapidations and the many obligations normally taken on by a tenant of business premises.

In dealing with business premises we can also offer essential advice on related topics such as Town and country Planning, insurance, taxation and, in the case of builder clients, the many features which must be considered before commencing a development, such as the closure and diverting of roads and rights of way, drainage rights, the making up of roads and agreements with the local authorities, ten year guarantee certificates to be issued by the N.H.B.C. and a number of other commercial and domestic considerations.

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Wills, Trusts & Executries

The importance of making a Will cannot be overstressed. Each Will is tailormade for the client, taking into consideration his or her personal financial circumstances, family and commitments and the possible incidence of taxation and in particular inheritance tax.

After a death it is important to those who are left behind that the Estate is administered with sympathy as well as with efficiency. It involves obtaining valuations of all the assets of the Estate, agreeing the tax liability, applying for Confirmation and then with the benefit of that Confirmation gathering in the assets of the Estate and administering them according to the Will or according to law as the case may be. In some cases a Trust may arise under the provisions of a Will or an intestacy and that Trust could last for many years. It will normally require the advice and assistance of a solicitor and in many cases a skilled financial adviser.

In dealing with the personal affairs of clients it is appropriate to mention Powers of Attorney. These are normally granted to enable relatives, friends or professional advisers to administer the affairs of the elderly or infirm persons who, for whatever reason, are unwilling or unable to manage their own affairs.

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Divorce and Matrimonial

It is an unfortunate fact of life that not all marriages are successful. When a relationship breaks down it is not unusual for one or both parties to seek to dissolve the marriage or to obtain a formal decree or judicial separation.

If there are children of the family under 16 the Court must be satisfied that proper arrangements are being made for their welfare.

A fair division of the family assets, including the matrimonial home, must be worked out. In the majority of cases this is achieved by negotiation between solicitors and agreement between the parties. We emphasise negotiation and agreement rather than conflict and confrontation in the application of the principles of matrimonial law to the special circumstances of each individual case.

We can also advise you on family protection, domestic violence, interdicts, adoption, child and care proceedings.

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Employment Matters

We are able to advise employers on a variety of topics relating to the conduct of their business in so far as it affects their work force including statutory requirements such as working conditions, liability insurance, PAYE, national insurance and pensions, contracts of employment, redundancy, dismissal, equal pay and discrimination.

Many of these matters apply equally to employees and we are able to advise and represent either party before Industrial Tribunals particularly in cases relating to redundancy and unfair dismissal.

We can also advise on the rights of employees following the sale of a business and the employment implications of purchasing a business.

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Civil Litigation

Civil litigation is the method of resolving disputes or claims between individuals, companies, local authorities and government departments.

Generally such matters fall into two categories. One is based on a contract being an agreement between two or more parties and the other is based on a civil wrong caused by one party to another either deliberately or negligently. The range of disputes based on a contract can vary from the relatively minor case of the purchase of defective items such as an electric kettle to a multi-million pound claim arising as a result of penalty clauses in a building contract. Civil wrongs include cases of personal injury and damage to property and reputation.

If you are involved in a dispute with another individual or company we can advise you on your chances of success and the possible value of your claim. We can negotiate on your behalf and if necessary commence or defend proceedings which, according to the subject matter and the amount of the claim, will be dealt with in the Sheriff Court.

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Company and Commercial Matters

For our business clients we can offer advice and services on incorporating a company, the management and administration of the company's affairs, taxation, service contracts and the liabilities of the company and its directors. We can handle takeovers and amalgamations and deal with the many complex issues arising from such transactions.

If incorporation as a company is not appropriate to your circumstances we can advise you on the alternative methods of trading which are either as a sole trader as the principal of the business or as a partner carrying on business together with others.

Whatever your business and its structure you will require advice on many topics including the negotiation and preparation of contracts for the supply of goods and services, employment contracts for your staff, methods of raising capital, improving the efficiency of your business through careful monitoring of the accounts, protecting trade secrets, processes and inventions, taxation, insurance, the purchase or leasing of premises and company formations.

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Accident and Personal Injury Claims

Injuries caused by deliberate or negligent acts of a person or corporate body or as a result of a breach of a statutory duty, for example employer's liability, normally give rise to a claim for damages. The amount of those damages of course will vary depending upon the severity of the injuries, the actual financial losses sustained such as loss of earnings, and the degree of impairment of the future earning capacity.

We can advise you as to whether your injuries are likely to give rise to claim and if so the merits and possible values of that claim. Negotiations can then be commenced (usually with an insurance company) to achieve a satisfactory settlement. If this is not possible we can commence proceedings on your behalf which may ultimately result in the matter being decided by a Court.

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Leases and Tenancy Agreements

Leases and Tenancy Agreements cover a wide range of situations and can vary from medium term Leases of commercial premises such as department stores, office blocks and factory premises, to shorter term Leases of shops and offices, domestic leases for the letting of a house, short term Tenancy Agreements, agricultural Tenancies, Tenancies of allotment gardens and even Licences to Occupy.

The law relating to Landlord and Tenant in both business and domestic properties is extremely technical and the regulations relating to them must be strictly observed if the client's interest are to be protected.

We can advertise and prepare Leases and Tenancy Agreements for you whether you are a landlord or a Tenant, deal with rent reviews, renewals, claims for dilapidations, proceedings for possession, arrears of rent, breaches of covenant, for example to repair and insure, or to use only in a specified manner, and generally advise you on all aspects of your Lease or Tenancy.

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