Our Property Dispute Solicitors Promise

A property dispute is any dispute that relates to property or real estate. A property dispute can be over residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural property, or any combination of these.

Some of the most common examples of property disputes are:

• Landlord and tenant disputes
• Boundary disputes
• Possession claims
• Rent recovery
• Contractual disputes

To solve a property dispute, there are three stages:

1. Talk it out – depending on the size of your property dispute, we would advise to try and resolve the situation informally first to avoid more costly measures.

2. Seek alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – ADR refers to any means of settling disputes outside of the courtroom. Some examples of ADR include mediation, conciliation, arbitration and negotiation. ADR can be formal or informal, legally binding or not, so you’ve got to do your homework first or speak to a solicitor.

3. Instruct a legal expert – A property dispute solicitor will ensure your case is legally robust and that a fair outcome to your matter is reached. Going to court can be costly whether you are making or defending a claim, which is why we try to avoid this if possible.

You don’t need to neccessarily go through each stage. For instance, if it’s a particularly serious property dispute you may just want to skip to stage 2 and 3.

The time-frame for solving a property dispute depends entirely on the complexity of the matter, whether the parties need to seek legal advice, and the willingness of each party to negotiate and settle.

On average, a property dispute will take 3 months to resolve. However, the time it takes to resolve your specific property dispute matter may take longer depending on the severity of the issue, whether both parties are open to forms of ADR etc.

To resolve your property dispute quickly, you will need to seek legal advice as soon as possible. Early involvement from a property dispute solicitor will ensure issues are resolved quickly, therefore saving money and time in the long run.

The cost of dispute resolution is entirely dependent on the type and severity of the property dispute.

However, to give you an idea of costs, if the property dispute were resolved through mediation (a form of ADR), the cost would be £1,000 per party per day in fees.

If ADR is unsuccessful and you need to take your matter further, you will need to instruct a solicitor for at least £250 an hour. For this hourly rate, a property dispute solicitor will construct your case and represent you in one of the following courts:

• County Court
• The High Court
• Specialist Tribunals & Courts

We are currently unable to offer legal aid in any capacity as we lack the necessary legal aid certificate. We also don’t offer pro bono property law work at present.