Our Services
Legal disputes have the potential to be disruptive, time-consuming, and expensive for all involved. Our specialist dispute resolution solicitors can help you find the right approach to secure a positive outcome as efficiently as possible.
Whether you are involved in a personal or commercial legal dispute, it is important to seek advice at an early stage so you clearly understand your position and the options that are available to you.
At Johnson Astills, we recognise that, whether you are a business or an individual, bringing or defending a legal claim can be daunting and stressful. Our aim is to provide a service that combines legal expertise with practical support and commercial awareness.
Our dispute resolution experts have experience handling a diverse range of legal disputes affecting individuals and businesses, including cohabitation property disputes, inheritance claims, property possession disputes, probate and estate administration disputes, and debt recovery.
We take time to understand your objectives, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case, and the potential costs of a court claim. This means that we will always consider whether there is an alternative to court proceedings that will be swifter, less expensive, less stressful, and still conclude positively.
That said, where court action is the appropriate step, you can rest assured that your case will be pursued robustly and professionally, with regard to the costs involved, to ensure that ‘winning’ a case does not prove to be a hollow victory.
To speak to a member of our team about your situation, please contact our dispute resolution solicitors in Leicester and Loughborough or use our contact form to request a call back.
At Johnson Astills, our dispute resolution solicitors have many years of experience helping individuals and businesses get the right outcome for their legal disputes under even the most challenging circumstances.
Throughout the progress of the dispute, we will keep the strengths, weaknesses and costs of your case under review, so that as things develop, we react accordingly.
The team is headed by Associate solicitor Laura Anderson, who has over a decade of legal experience and brings a clear headed, pragmatic approach, and fierce determination to get the best outcome for her clients.
We are Lexcel accredited by the Law Society for the high standards of our legal practices and are independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Our dispute resolution team is experienced in advising clients on bringing and defending many types of claims, including:
Cohabitation disputes can often be very challenging to unravel, especially as they can often involve disagreements surrounding the co-ownership of property. As cohabitees do not have the same legal protections as married couples or civil partners, this can have a range of implications if they separate.
Our dispute resolution solicitors can help cohabitees determine and realise their share of equity in a property upon a relationship breakdown, helping to achieve a positive outcome in an amicable way wherever possible.
If a person dies without a valid Will, their estate will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy. In such a situation, anyone who may have been expecting to inherit from the deceased may be able to bring a claim under the Inheritance Act 1975, if adequate provision has not been made.
Our solicitors can assist both claimants and defendants in relation to Inheritance Act claims, ensuring that the most appropriate distribution of assets is secured.
To start the process of recovering possession of a property let to tenants, landlords need to serve formal notice under Section 8 or Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Landlords need to ensure they serve the correct notice the right way, and may need to satisfy certain conditions, which can lead to conflict between both landlords and tenants who are due to be evicted.
We can assist landlords with recovering possession of property let under an assured shorthold tenancy, by advising on the correct procedure, preparing documents and dealing with court proceedings and instructing bailiffs if this ends up being necessary. We can also help with recovery of rent arrears..
The death of a loved one can be a challenging situation to navigate. Emotions can run high, which can make it difficult for executors/administrators and beneficiaries to reach an agreement on the various practical arrangements that need to be made.
Our dispute resolution solicitors can assist with the process of resolving disputes between executors/administrators and beneficiaries over the administration of an estate including over what someone may inherit or how executors/administrators are fulfilling their duties.
Boundary disputes are a common source of disagreement between neighbours. Whether a dispute relates to one party allegedly encroaching over a known boundary line or confusion over where a boundary sits, it is important that a resolution is found to prevent matters from escalating, and impacting future dealings with the land.
Our specialist team can provide immediate assistance to residential homeowners with disputed boundaries, helping to unpick these often complicated and contentious issues.
We can assist with a range of contentious business matters, including:
Commercial contracts are the lifeblood of many businesses, which means that any breaches can have a hugely detrimental impact. If your business is involved in a dispute over a breach of contract, finding a solution that minimises any potential damages is key.
Our commercial dispute resolution team can assist with the recovery of damages caused by a breach of a commercial agreement, providing a solid platform for your business to move forward.
The cost of resolving a legal dispute must always be in proportion to the benefits of the outcome you hope to achieve. As such, we offer a range of options to help you keep tight control over the costs involved.
We offer a fixed fee initial consultation for £300 + VAT as standard.
We will often suggest a well-drafted ‘Letter before Action’, or ‘Letter of Claim’ as a first step. In many cases, this can be dealt with on the basis of a fixed fee.
Where ongoing support is needed, we will give you clear information on costs, with expenditure agreed in advance.
There are various methods by which a legal dispute can be resolved. Which is the most appropriate will depend on the circumstances of your case and the willingness of all parties to reach an agreement.
Common methods of dispute resolution include mediation, where a trained mediator liaises with each party (in confidence) to try and broker a deal, and round table meetings, where all parties meet to discuss the details of the dispute and what they believe needs to be done to reach an agreement.
While many people assume that a legal dispute will automatically involve court proceedings, this will not necessarily be the case.
As explained above, various dispute resolution methods can be deployed to help both parties reach an agreement they are happy with without, the need for a court claim.
However, if these methods of alternative dispute resolution do not conclude matters, court action may be appropriate. Even where a claim is issued, attempts to resolve the dispute through alternative means can still be made, and can have a positive impact on the amount you pay and recover in legal costs.
The time it takes to resolve a dispute can vary significantly from case to case. Straightforward disputes could be resolved by agreement in a matter of weeks, while more complex matters involving court proceedings could take many months to conclude.
For sensible, cost-effective help resolving a personal or business dispute in Leicester, Loughborough and the surrounding areas, please get in touch with a member of our team.
You can contact your local Johnson Astills office or feel free to use our contact form to request a call back.
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