Property litigation solicitors

Expert advice on property disputes for public and private sector businesses

Our property litigation solicitors provide a full dispute resolution service for public and private sector businesses, based on highly developed negotiation and litigation skills.

Whenever property disputes occur, the needs of all parties are always the same: to achieve a speedy resolution with minimum cost and disruption to normal activities. Much of this depends on an informed understanding of the legal issues and experience in negotiating satisfactory settlements.

How our property dispute solicitors can help you

Handling property disputes is one of Weightmans' key areas of expertise and our property litigation solicitors act for public and private sector landlords, tenants and real estate developers across a client base of local authorities, NHS Trusts, housing associations, social landlords, retailers, owner-managed businesses and private individuals.

We realise that, as a client, you need a service that is professional, proactive and focused on helping you achieve your goals. We understand, too, that property litigation may not be the best means to achieve your objectives — and where other forms of dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, are more appropriate, we'll choose that route.

From our lengthy experience, we also recognise that a commercial property dispute needn't end a business relationship. We're sensitive to all the issues involved and seek to protect your interests long term while resolving immediate problems.

We use bespoke case management systems to ensure that all documents are accurate and consistent, court procedures are followed and deadlines met. All our activities are based on highly efficient internal systems, which help us provide a streamlined and genuinely cost-effective service.

Services offered by our property litigation solicitors

Our services include:

Claims for disrepair
Contested lease renewals and break options/surrenders/forfeitures
Rent review arbitrations and expert determinations
Enforcing/challenging restrictive covenants/easements
Options, overage and other real estate agreement disputes
Advising on issues arising from the Building Safety Act 2022 and building safety defects
Property finance disputes and issues relating to real estate in an insolvency context
Injunctive relief, including obtaining access to tenants’ and neighbours’ properties
Possession claims
Eviction of squatters and advising on protestor action
Professional negligence claims
Boundary disputes.

What does a property litigation solicitor do?

A property litigation solicitor specialises in resolving disputes related to real estate. They provide legal advice, represent clients in claims before the court and other tribunals, negotiate settlements, and can help to prevent disputes by giving early guidance and reviewing draft agreements. Property litigation solicitors need a deep understanding of real estate law as well as excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Their work can cover a wide range of issues, traditionally landlord and tenant disputes, boundary and property ownership and possession claims, nuisance, trespass, issues arising on development and compulsory purchase orders. Property litigation also now covers housing and estate management issues, building safety and advising on statutory compliance. Work regularly crosses over with other legal areas, such as insolvency, crime, planning, construction, environmental law, insurance, and regulation.

What is a commercial property dispute?

A commercial property dispute involves legal conflicts related to real estate used for business purposes. These disputes can arise in various contexts, such as:

Lease agreements, including arrears, disrepair, renewals, rent reviews, termination, and service charge issues.
Property sales and purchases, like breaches of contract and misrepresentation.
Development projects, including disputes concerning easements, restrictive covenants, rights of way, boundaries, trespass, and nuisance.
Property damage, which may involve negligence or insurance issues

In these dispute, commercial property litigation solicitors help their clients by providing advice, representing them before the court or in other tribunals, and negotiating settlements. They can also assist in the avoidance of future disputes with early guidance before projects begin or contracts are completed. Navigating commercial property disputes often requires a thorough understanding of real estate law and regulation, strategic experience, and negotiation skills.