Property Litigation Solicitors

Property litigation is a very broad area of the law that deals with disputes relating to any type of real estate. Most people have to deal with property at some point, and it is not uncommon for landlords and tenants, landowners and developers, or even family members to encounter disputes and unexpected contractual issues that lead to legal proceedings. 

Often, you will hear the term ‘property dispute resolution’ used in place of ‘property litigation.’ This actually is a better description of what we do. Litigation refers to resolving issues through the courts, whereas most of our clients prefer to try to resolve the dispute through negotiation. This is often faster, less stressful and less expensive than settling matters with a court hearing. 

Our property litigation team is trained in both litigation and alternative methods of dispute resolution. We can support you at every stage of your dispute, from advising you of the best way to avoid future problems, to early-stage dispute avoidance, to full-blown litigation if this is the best option for your case.

Anyone who owns, leases, develops, finances or uses property may benefit from an expert property litigation solicitor at some point. They may need support in resolving a live dispute, or they may need help when negotiating contracts and lease clauses to ensure that costly problems don’t crop up further down the line.

To give you a flavour of how varied property litigation is, here are some of the matters that we deal with on a regular basis:

Collecting rent or service charge arrears Making sure that tenants strip out and repair property at the end of the lease Repossessions and forfeiture Dealing with trespassers Co-owner disputes Serving a Section 21 notice

Whatever problem you’re having, give us a call. We will put our nearly 40 years of property litigation experience to work for you.

Our law firm specialises in all types of property litigation. However, that does not mean that we are the right fit for every matter. To find out if we can help you, please contact us and we will be more than happy to talk through your situation, evaluate your case and give you a free general overview of your legal rights and obligations.

Sometimes the only solution is to go to court. However, we recognise that our client’s interests are often better served outside of the court process. We can often reach a resolution through negotiation, by presenting your case in a well-organised manner with technical evidence to back up your claim. Sometimes, a roundtable meeting is needed to resolve the issues. Or, we can use a mediator or a professional arbitrator as an alternative to court hearings.

As well as saving time and costs, these options have the added advantage of putting you more in control of the process and the outcome.

Costs vary depending on the complexity of the dispute, whether it settles early or proceeds to a hearing, and the amount at stake.

We offer a free initial consultation and will discuss the most appropriate fee structure before you commit to anything — this may be an hourly rate, a fixed fee for a defined piece of work, or a combination of both. We’ll always give you a clear cost estimate upfront.

In some disputes it may be possible to recover your legal costs from the other party if the matter is decided in your favour — we’ll advise you on this as part of your initial consultation.

This depends on the nature of the dispute and whether the other party engages constructively. A landlord and tenant matter resolved through negotiation might conclude within weeks. A contested boundary dispute or complex commercial claim that goes to trial can take 18 months or more.

We’ll give you an honest timeline estimate once we’ve reviewed your matter, and we’ll work to resolve it as efficiently as possible — keeping you updated at every stage.