Conveyancing fees vary from firm to firm and according to the type and size of the property. When comparing conveyancing solicitor’s quotes please ensure you check like-for-like. Not all property conveyancing specialists offer fixed fees and in some cases there may be additional costs not quoted to you from the outset.

Both are regulated and capable of taking on the sale or purchase of your property. If it is a commercial conveyancing transaction you will often need to talk to a conveyancing solicitor as this area of law can be more complex.

Every sale and purchase is different and sometimes the slightest hiccup can hold up the process but typically it can be completed in 12 weeks. Our conveyancing specialists have completed conveyancing processes much quicker than this and others have taken much longer.

For property buyers, the stages include 1. Offer to vender, 2. Instruction of a conveyancer, 3. Payment of upfront fees, 4. Property Searches, 5 Mortgage offer, 6. Survey, 7. Deposits, 8. Planning of completion date, 9. Exchange and 10. Completion

For property seller, the stages 1. Find an estate agent and put property on the market. 2. Accept an offer, 3. Instruct a conveyancing solicitor, 4.Get an energy assessment, 5. Draft contracts, 6. Agree completion date, 7. Exchange, 8. Completion

Your property conveyancer will request a settlement figure for your mortgage if required and with liaise with all relevant parties to the completion.

The property searches in a property purchase include: Local Authority, Water and Drainage, Environmental, Commons Registration, Coal Mining, Land Charges, Index Map Search, Disadvantaged Areas, Chancel Repair
and Indemnity Insurance.

This is very much dependent on the local council. In most cases it is 2 – 3 weeks. This process can be lengthier if the results require further investigation if for example a problem has shown up in a search that could affect the value of the property.

Typically conveyancing lawyers recommend a window of 1 to 2 weeks to allow both parties time to organise themselves, book removal companies etc.

Divorces can take between 6-8 months but timescales can be prolonged if there is a lack of co-operation from one party or there are complicated financial arrangements.

Managing finances is central to the discussions for most divorcing couples and it is important from the outset that you seek legal advice to set out financial arrangements that are sustainable. If it’s a question of your spouse just refusing to pay when clearly they have the funds to pay then the matter can be raised with the court.

Yes unless your case involves domestic violence. If you jointly own the property, you have the right to remain in the property during the divorce process. If one of you moves out, you are both still responsible for paying your share of the mortgage until you come to a final decision on the property.

Ideally you should get your divorce underway and finalise the deal in a financial order approved by the court. An informal agreement, even if in writing, between husband and wife, however well intentioned, won’t stop any issues in the future.  For example, your husband could ask for the house to be sold at any time and due to his own money issues could stop paying maintenance etc.  A financial order is legally binding and will give you peace of mind and the ability to plan for the future.

We urge anyone with children or assets to seek professional advice from a solicitor when writing a Will. There are delicate decisions to be made around guardians for children, assets to give to beneficiaries as well as who to name as executors. A meeting with a professional will writer will not only simplify the process for you but it will ensure you avoid any costly mistakes.

Making a Will is one of the single most important documents you will create in your lifetime. Will-writing is not a regulated service which means the protection you have if something should go wrong varies hugely depending on who writes it. Insufficient knowledge on making or executing a Will can render it invalid.

If you do not make a Will you cannot be sure of protecting your loved ones. Without a Will your estate is declared intestate and your family will have to follow specific and sometimes lengthy procedures to manage your possessions. This can be particularly distressing and, in some cases, can lead to family disputes.

Yes, our probate solicitors will help you with the process of registering the death, applying for probate and managing the estate including paying any tax liabilities.

From the outset it is important for your children to understand that they are never being asked to choose between you.

If your children are older you can discuss options but we wouldn’t recommend asking them to choose who they live with. That’s a decision that you as adults must make.

It is also important to parent collectively – try and agree in advance rules around homework, bed time, if they can have friends round, how long they can be on gaming machines etc. Children can look to divide and conquer making both parents fight for affection and equally feel guilty so setting rules that you both adhere to makes for a more certain and happy future.

Understandably you will need to revisit your rules as your children get older and therefore communication between both parents is key.

At Kidd Rapinet we recommend expert mediation if you are unable to reach an agreement on what is best for your children. A mediator is independent – they are not aligned with either parties solicitor. They will not tell you want to do but they will help you to seek a solution. A mediator will:-

• Empower you to make decisions in relation to your children rather than applying to court
• Offer a less stressful way of dealing with such sensitive matters
• Help you improve communication and sort out future arrangements
• Provide a quicker and more cost-effective way of resolving child custody disputes

If you have tried mediation are unable to reach a resolution you can apply for a child arrangement order through the family courts.

A child arrangement order is a legally binding court order on both parents which sets out times and days that children must live at one residence or another. It can only be applied for if mediation has been tried and failed. The court will be guided by a welfare checklist that considers:-

• The wishes of the child/ren (taking into account their age and understanding)
• The child/ren physical, emotional and educational needs
• The child’s sex, background and other characteristics
• How capable each parent is with meeting the child’s needs

The court will also assess any risks in the case of domestic abuse and any potential harm to the child/ren.

Sadly grandparents have no automatic right to be part of their grandchild’s life. At Kidd Rapinet we encourage resolution between family members after separation or divorce so children can continue to see their grandparents.

If conflict prevents this a grandparent can approach the court to make a child arrangement order – this is only likely if the court considers it to be in the child’s best interests.

If there are problems with parental responsibilities and social services have become involved it is possible for grandparents or one or more individuals to become a child’s ‘special guardian’. This is a private law order and is intended for children who cannot live with their birth parents and would benefit from a legally secure placement.

This is a very serious issue and one that should be raised immediately with your employer. If the issue is with a member of your management team and you do not feel comfortable doing this, please get in contact with our employment solicitors. We will advise you of the best course of action.

The first step is to check your title deeds and land registry records. Often disputes arise from conflicting historical use of land so if this is the case, negotiation or mediation may be the best approach.  Please use the form or call us to explain more about your boundary dispute issue.

It is possible to enter a “caveat” at the Probate Registry which prevents a grant of probate from being issued.  However, this is a challenging area so legal advice is recommended before attempting this step.

If you jointly own a property and one party refuses to sell, you may need to apply to the court for an order for sale under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA).  The court considers many factors including the interests of any children in the home in such matters.

Generally, people appoint a close relative, a friend or a professional such as a solicitor or an accountant. Your Attorney must be aged 18 or over and have the mental capacity to make their own decisions. It is important you appoint someone you trust completely to act in your best interests. Your Attorney does not need to be a British citizen or live in the UK though for practical purposes, it may be more convenient if they are local to you.

You can appoint just one Attorney though it may be better to appoint at least two. If you do this, you need to decide if they will make decisions:

• Together (also know as “jointly”) – Your Attorneys must make all decisions together. They can only make decisions if they all agree, so difficulties may arise if the attorneys fall out with each other. In addition, if one were to die and your LPA made no provision for appointing a replacement, your LPA would become ineffective;
• Separately or together (also known as “jointly and severally”) – Your Attorneys can make decisions together or on their own. This is the most practical arrangement. If one of your attorneys were temporarily or permanently unable to act, then the remaining Attorney could continue acting by themselves.
• Together for some decisions and separately for others – As above, if your Attorneys cannot agree on matters that are to be decided together, this could result in no decision being taken on those matters.

In any event, you can nominate other people to replace your Attorney(s) in the event they become permanently unable to act for you.

It is possible to create a Health and Welfare LPA and a Financial LPA yourself, however, both documents will contain particularly important information and it is advisable to seek professional advice and support from an LPA lawyer.

Our LPA lawyers are situated throughout Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and London – we offer no obligation consultations so please do get in touch to discuss a Lasting Power of Attorney.

We act for landlords and tenants and can advise on rent arrears and rent disputes, termination of your tenancy, landlord and tenant responsibilities, obligations in your lease or tenancy, service charges and other disputes.

We understand matters can quickly become contentious and our aim is to provide sensible and pragmatic advise to resolve matters through negotiation and mediation. We are, however, well versed with supporting clients through a claim or defence in the civil courts if this is what is needed.

Yes we do. Property and land ownership disputes arise from a range of circumstances – these include divorce, co-habitation agreements, buying property with friends, inheritance and contested probate. We see a lot of ownership disputes that have arisen because of a family breakdown, second or multiple marriages.

We can advise both residential and commercial property and land owners in ownership of co-ownership disputes – including alternatives to litigation such as dispute resolution and mediation.

If agreement cannot be found, we can apply for a court order to prevent possible seizure of a property from another party.

Co-ownership disputes often arise when a jointly owned property needs to be sold or where one partner wishes to be ‘bought out’.

If you are an unmarried couple with the property in one partner’s name but you have contributed to the deposit and mortgage, you may be entitled to a share of the property.

If the property is in joint names it is presumed that each owner is entitled to 50% of the proceeds of any sale or 50% of the property value. Entitlement, however, depends on individual circumstances and if the property is registered as ‘Tenants in Common or as Joint Tenants.

Your home is a major financial investment and we therefore advise you to seek correct legal advice concerning your position from the outset.

Most applications are decided within 6 months but many are much quicker. The exact time will depend on which immigration category you are applying under and whether you are making your application from in or outside of the UK.

We will endeavour to submit your application promptly, once we have received your full instructions and all of the necessary information and supporting documentation.

If you are in a particular hurry, for an additional fee, it may be possible to receive a priority service. For applications made from within the UK, this could be as quickly as the next working day (super priority service) or within 5 working days (priority service).

A biometric enrolment appointment is part of the application process and must be completed to validate your application. The appointment is booked online following the submission of your online application form and requires you to physically attend the selected application centre, with your original passport or identity documents.

At the appointment, your fingerprints will be recorded and a facial image will be taken. If your supporting evidence has not been uploaded prior to your appointment, this will need to be scanned in too.

As soon as possible. However, you can contest a Will even if probate has been granted. If you used Kidd Rapinet to help you contest a Will we would write to the executor and other beneficiaries that the validity of the Will was being contested.

If you are challenging the validity of the Will or making a claim under the Inheritance Act then your claim will be against the executor of the Will and the beneficiaries. If the person died without a Will you can still make a claim against the beneficiaries that inherited under the rules of intestacy.

If a Will has been proved to be invalid and made by a professional, you can seek to make a professional negligence claim.

Disputing the Will of a deceased person’s estate isn’t particularly pleasant, but we can guide and advise you to help make the process easier.

Often if a trust or similar has been set up the testator may have added a ‘no contest’ clause to prevent any Will disputes. These clauses are often specific to a particular asset or person and usually made because the testator believes someone may try to make a claim for something they don’t want them to have.

Challenging a will is still possible and if the Will is found to be invalid then the ‘no contest’ will no longer apply. However, it is worth checking the terms of the clause because you could potentially lose part of the estate you have inherited if you make an unsuccessful challenge.

If a person dies without a Will (known as intestacy) – there are rules which set out who can inherit assets or an estate. Sadly, these rules may not reflect the deceased’s wishes.

Often in the case of no Will there can be disputes over an unmarried partner that hasn’t been provided for, perhaps it’s a child or a dependant that has not been provided for. In some cases, estranged partners have inherited an entire estate which can be very upsetting for the family.

If you need to challenge a Will or have a probate dispute, please get in touch with our team. We have many years’ experience in handling difficult situations and gaining a good outcome.