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The majority of flats owned in England and Wales are ‘leasehold’, meaning the owners hold their flats for a fixed period of time and subject to the various rights and obligations within the ‘lease’ for their property. One of the obligations within leases is to pay rent – either to a freeholder, or some other […]

Commercial Property Solicitor Nick Hyman explains the dangers of signing up to asset protection trusts. Nick Hyman says individuals can easily ‘lose control’ of their financial affairs and may not even recall they are tied up with a trust or fully understand its implications.  They are likely to have to jump through numerous hoops and […]

It’s the jewel in Bournemouth’s crown with a national and international reputation.   Founded by Sir Merton and Lady Annie Russell-Cotes at the turn of the twentieth century, the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum is a rare survivor as the residence of a Victorian private collector.  Situated on the East Cliff, it stands as a […]

One in every five families in the UK are cohabiting – it’s Resolution’s annual Awareness Week, which is launching a ‘Vision for Family Justice’ focusing on protection for cohabitating couples. Family Solicitor Andrew Goss explains why we are adding our voice to calls for a fairer family justice system, and lobbying MPs for long overdue […]

In October, to coincide with Halloween, we looked at Mary Shelley’s links with Bournemouth and her iconic novel Frankenstein.  But local literary history and heritage also includes a number of other rather well known names.  Here are just a few…. Author of the epic fantasy novels, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien, […]

Halloween is approaching… So as part of our local heritage series we thought we would look at the iconic story of Frankenstein.  As anyone familiar with Bournemouth’s literary history will know, the novel’s author, Mary Shelley, is buried in a family plot in St Peter’s Church. And of course the Mary Shelley public house is […]

If you own a flat within a block, the chances are that you own as a leaseholder – for a set amount of time and subject to the rules within your lease. Leases will be prepared when the flat is sold for the first time and often the flat will pass through several owners without […]

Are Domestic Abuse Cases on the Rise? An overview of the scale of the issue The police recorded 1,500,369 domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes in England and Wales in the year ending March 2022.  The number of domestic abuse-related crimes increased 7.7% compared to the previous year.  However, only around a fraction of domestic violence […]

Our nostalgia series reflects on the communities we all live and work in.  This month, we’re taking a look at Poole’s fascinating flying boat history. The Flying Boats of Poole Harbour 1939 – 1948 Poole Harbour and its approach, Poole Bay have a little-known but distinguished aeronautical history. It was on Bournemouth beach in 1912 […]

Family solicitor, Alan Stanley, answers some frequently asked questions on prenuptial agreements as part of our Family Law Friday series: What is a prenuptial agreement and how does it work? A prenuptial agreement, commonly known as a prenup, is a legal contract that a couple creates before getting married or entering into a civil partnership. […]

When should I extend my lease? Lucy Eveleigh, a Solicitor Apprentice in our Landlord and Tenant department, discusses the importance of being aware of the length of your lease when owning a leasehold property and considers the impacts of the leasehold reform proposals. Leasehold reforms- what we know so far: Under the current legislation, the […]

We are delighted to share the news that Burcu Bulbul has qualified as a family solicitor.  Burcu studied locally at Bournemouth University, and later completed her Masters at the University of Law in London before embarking on her training contract with the firm and is now a fully-fledged lawyer after beginning her legal studies six […]

Deborah Fenton aims to bring her own brand of energy, experience and enthusiasm to her new role as Head of Residential Property at long established firm Rawlins Davy Reeves.  She has joined the company as a Director, having previously worked for Steele Raymond Solicitors, and brings with her 20 years of legal experience, having qualified […]

Why You Should Use a Regulated Firm for Will Writing Currently, the UK does not place any restrictions on who is able to prepare a will. This means that not everyone who offers will drafting services will have the breadth of skills and experience necessary to effectively achieve your desired outcomes. Concerns have been echoed […]

Burcu is a Trainee Solicitor within the Family Department at Rawlins Davy Reeves and qualifies this Summer.  She sets out below what a typical day is like for her at RDR: 8:30am I arrive in Poole and grab a Starbucks (of course), then log on to start the day.  The first thing is always catching […]

The Importance of Wills for Cohabitees Solicitor Apprentice Becky Shale considers this significant topic. Despite common misconceptions, cohabitees are not afforded the same rights as married couples or civil partners. The disparities are particularly significant when considering property ownership on the death of a cohabitee. The Commons Library indicate that 22% of couples living together […]

Who gets the engagement ring? Family solicitor, Alan Stanley, answers this interesting and occasionally asked question. In short it depends on whether the couple break up before the wedding, or divorce afterward. In the case where the wedding is called off, the answer to this question is found in Section 3(2) of the Law Reform […]

Top 5 things every commercial tenant needs to know Renewal Some leases contain specific contractual rights of renewal, obliging the landlord to grant a new lease, provided that the tenant serves the proper notice of intention to renew.  These are rare.  Often, business tenants will be reliant on rights that were given to the majority […]

Renters reform bill – bad news for problem tenants? The Government’s Renters Reform Bill is currently working its way through Parliament.  Much of the commentary has focused on the removal of so-called “no fault” evictions, that is to say a notice served by the landlord under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 requesting possession […]

Family solicitor, Alan Stanley from Rawlins Davy Reeves explains separation agreements by way of answers to the most frequently asked questions. What is a separation agreement? Any couple, whether married / in a civil partnership or not, can enter into a written agreement setting out what they intend to happen to their money, property and […]

There are some obvious similarities between being a lawyer and a football manager. Both can be extremely stressful for instance. But there are some key differences. While a football manager can perhaps have the occasional moan about to the referee about a decision every now and then, the lawyer most definitely can’t do that to […]

Top 5 things to do before you sell your house Choose your estate agent wisely To be clear, this does not mean choosing the agent whose opinion as to the sale price you can achieve is higher than the others – it is the market that dictates the price, and it the estate agent’s skill […]

Top 5 tips for building a property portfolio Know your attitude to risk The best person to assist you in calculating your attitude to financial risk is an independent financial advisor. Property investment, together with the purchase of any major single asset, carries risks. You will need to be prepared for capital losses if the […]

To mark International Women’s Day today (March 8) three of our trainee solicitors give a personal account of what the law means to them and how it can change lives for the better. Burcu Bulbul, family law: Law is a crucial element of life. It can and does adapt to societal changes. For example, same-sex […]

A special video highlighting the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s extraordinary work in care homes has been released. The short film features a concert by two BSO musicians at Elizabeth House, Poole run by Care South. It was one of several care home concerts during the summer funded by Bournemouth, Poole and Wimborne solicitors Rawlins Davy Reeves, […]

Merger announcement! Two of the conurbation’s leading law firms are to merge. Rawlins Davy and Jacobs and Reeves are joining forces on October 1 and will be known as Rawlins Davy Reeves.  The branch network for the new firm will include the landmark premises Beechurst in Poole High Street, together with offices on Richmond Hill [...]

Rawlins Davy is immensely proud to be teaming up with the world famous Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to bring music back into care homes. We are funding five BSO concerts at homes in Bournemouth and Poole as the Orchestra returns to its vital community work post pandemic. The concerts are scheduled to take place in the […]

When Caro Taylor was growing up in Derbyshire she was told that taking a law degree was out of the question because she came from working class family. So the eager student went to Lancaster University to study English Literature instead. But after speaking to lecturers she soon realised there were actually no barriers and […]

Bournemouth Law Society President and Head of Commercial Property at Rawlins Davy  Neil White welcomed more than 300 members guests to the first Annual Lunch since the pandemic. Neil told guests: “It is wonderful for everyone to get together once again after everything we have been through with the pandemic in the past two years.” […]

  Welcome to the last of this series of videos, looking at the history of Bournemouth’s newspaper, the Echo. We also explore the history of it’s fantastic building, the art deco style, and how the space is now being used by a new generation of Bournemouth entrepreneurs.

At Rawlins Davy we are telling stories. Literally. To celebrate the return of Bobby’s department store to Bournemouth, we decided to take a look at other famous brands associated with the town. So we have commissioned three videos to tell the compelling stories of Bath Travel/Palmair, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Echo. Mark […]

Welcome to the second issue of Ampersand, in which we share our thoughts (and those of a distinguished guest) on the future of the office sector and town centres. We also celebrate the launch of our bespoke Landlord and Tenant department under the direction of Alex Crabbe, and the appointment of two new senior solicitors, [...]

Family life in lockdown

The latest on Leasehold reform

Welcome to the first issue of Ampersand Read the latest Ampersand: {{ vc_btn: title=Download+PDF&color=primary&i_icon_fontawesome=&add_icon=true&link=url%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Frawlinsdavyreeves.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2021%252F05%252Fampersand-newsletter-summer-2020.pdf%7Ctarget%3A_blank }}

“We are delighted to welcome Caro Taylor and her team from Caro Taylor Solicitors to Rawlins Davy.  Caro is one of the most respected names in family law, with over 35 years of experience.  She is joined by her Associate Solicitor and family specialist Amanda Loe, Jan van Boven and Susan Baker.  Caro and her […]

We have new launched a specialist landlord and tenant department. It will focus on ‘across the board’ services for the sector including lease extensions, collective freehold purchases and landlord and tenant disputes. These may cover service charges and ground rent issues and advice in relation to possession proceedings and shorthold tenancies. The department is being […]

Alex Crabbe (29) has been elected President of the Bournemouth and District Junior Lawyers Division for the next year. And he intends to make wellbeing in the legal profession one of his top priorities. Alex, who studied law at Cardiff University, joined Rawlins Davy as a paralegal in 2016 and qualified as a solicitor in […]

Julie Pegg has joined the Rawlins Davy team to expand private client business. She began her legal career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University (in psychology, sociology and English) and becoming a junior caseworker at the Crown Prosecution Service in the Midlands. Julie explained: “I realised at the point that in the legal profession I […]

Rawlins Davy director Mark Kiteley has been appointed a director of the Poole BID. The move comes just a few months after the firm opened an office in Poole Old Town, taking over Caro Taylor’s practice. The Poole BID (Business Improvement District) plays a key role in the vibrancy of the town centre from the […]

Experienced commercial property lawyer Daniel Stanton has joined the expanding team at Rawlins Davy. A graduate in law from Southampton University, he qualified as a solicitor in 2004. He has particular experience in the licensed trade and retail premises giving him a valuable insight into the specific challenges facing those sectors, especially in the wake […]

THE biggest change in divorce law for decades, eliminating unreasonable behaviour as grounds for action, has been welcomed by a leading family lawyer. The Royal Assent has just been given to legislation that will make it much easier to have a no fault divorce. Caro Taylor who heads the family department at Rawlins Davy described […]

Click here to download our fee guide for Estate Administration and obtaining a Grant only   Potential additional costs The conveyancing fees on the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included   To meet our private client team please click below Patricia Smith Ana Diling Sue Hickman Fiona Kenny Becky [...]

Why do I need a lease extension? As time passes, the term of a lease will gradually shorten. As the term of a lease diminishes so too does its value. This is of particular significance for leases with 80 years or less left to run. Under the current law, below this point the value of [...]

More and more people are turning to an equity release scheme to unlock capital value in their property, whether it be to supplement their pension income or to fund a significant expense such as supporting children with a housing deposit. However, whilst equity releases may be increasing in popularity, they are not suitable for everybody [...]

Our fees cover all of the work required to complete any remortgages. Legal fees are the charges that Rawlins Davy Reeves make for our time spent on the matter and are calculated according to the value of the property. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Land [...]

Our fees cover all the work required to complete the sale of your home. Our scale of fees is set out below. Our fees Legal fees are calculated according to the value of the property. Property Price Fees (excluding VAT) Total (including VAT @ 20%) 0-250,000 £     1,500.00 £     1,800.00 250,001-500,000 £     1,650.00 [...]

Our fees cover all the work required to complete the process of buying a leasehold property, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if the property is in Wales. Our [...]

Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the sale of your home. Legal fees are the charges that Rawlins Davy Reeves make for our time spent on the matter and are calculated according to the value of the property. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, [...]

Purchase of a freehold residential property Our fees cover all of the work required to complete the purchase of your new home, including dealing with registration at the Land Registry and dealing with the payment of Stamp Duty Land Tax (Stamp Duty) if the property is in England, or Land Transaction Tax (Land Tax) if [...]

Stages of Residential Property Purchase and Sale Please note the precise stages vary according to the circumstances but the following are typical: PURCHASE Take your instructions and give you initial advice Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed Receive and advise on contract documents Carry out searches Obtain [...]

How long will my property purchase take? How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6 and 10 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. If, [...]

How long will my property sale take? How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process takes between 6 and 10 weeks. It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties in the chain. If, [...]

Stages of leasehold purchase or sale The precise stages may vary according to the circumstances but the below are typical: PURCHASE Take your instructions and give you initial advice Check finances are in place to fund purchase and contact lender's solicitors if needed Receive and advise on contract documents Carry out searches Obtain further planning [...]

How long will Estate Administration take? Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8 – 16 weeks in a straightforward estate. Collecting the assets then follows which can take between 2 – 5 weeks excluding dealing with the property. We can then pay the liabilities, legacies and expenses of the administration and it is then [...]

How long does grant of probate take? Once you are able to let us have the relevant figures, we can then usually prepare the probate papers within 1 – 2 weeks and once you have sworn the probate papers it then typically takes a further 2 – 3 weeks to obtain the Grant of Probate. [...]

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 8 to 10 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a one-day Final Hearing [...]

<h3>What is equity release</h3> The equity in your property is the property value after deducting any borrowing. An equity release is simply taking a proportion of that value and turning it into cash that you can spend now. A number of different equity release products are available, and indeed come and go over time, but [...]

Fairtrade fortnight takes place from 25th February 2019 to the 10th March 2019, and provides an opportunity to raise awareness of Fairtrade’s mission to connect disadvantaged farmers and workers with consumers, promote fairer trading conditions and empower farmers and workers to combat poverty, strengthen their position and take more control over their lives.  Schools, local […]

Rawlins Davy’s engagement with our local law society dates back to Mr HWK Rawlins presidency in 1915-23. The Bournemouth and District Society was founded in 1893 and Mr Rawlins (son of our founder, Mr Tom Rawlins) was its sixth president. Fast forward 100 years to our AGM on the 29th April 2019, and I hope […]

Christmas has officially begun in Bournemouth with the opening of the new Christmas Tree Wonderland and the Bournemouth Christmas Lights 2018. The event attracted thousands of visitors to Bournemouth, and the Christmas Tree Wonderland is bound to attracts thousands more across the festive period. Rawlins Davy were at the launch of the Bournemouth Christmas Lights […]

Fraud has become more and more sophisticated in recent times, with more than £500 million stolen from customers of British banks in the first half of 2018. This is why protecting yourself from fraud is particularly important. There are two different types of fraud - authorised and unauthorised. It is important to distinguish which cases are [...]

The Royal Foundation, along with the Heads Together charity and Mind, have been working hard to provide resources, information and support for people struggling with mental health issues in the workplace. The initiative, Mental Health at Work, was recently launched by Price William, and is open to all business, but will particularly focus on small […]

Divorces across the UK are increasing. Divorce laws in England and Wales are set to change, with recent criticism of the current divorce system. The new plans to change divorce law aim to allow married couples to split quicker and without bitterness. The current divorce laws in England and Wales mean a couple have to […]

Thanks to Bournemouth Town Centre BID and THIS Event Co, there is going to be a giant slide coming to Bournemouth this Bank Holiday. Martin Davies, the Managing Director of Rawlins Davy, sits on the board of the Bournemouth Town Centre BID, and helped bring this fantastic event to Bournemouth. The slide will even run […]

Redundancy is when an employer dismisses an employee as they no longer need someone to do that job and need to reduce their workforce. Making staff redundant can be difficult to approach on your own and is a challenging process for both parties. Rawlins Davy have dealt with many redundancy procedures in the past and aim [...]

Unfair Disciplinary Action At Work happens across the UK on a daily basis. It is a difficult process for both the employer and employee. At Rawlins Davy, we have seen plenty of cases of unfair disciplinary action at work and have helped individuals fight their case. What Is Disciplinary Action? Disciplinary procedures happen for various […]

A will is a document which outlines how your assets are divided amongst your beneficiaries after your death. It is important to understand the purpose of a will and all of its elements. Rawlins Davy have been assisting people with the difficult process of will preparation for many years. To make things easier for you, […]

Rawlins Davy has been helping clients since 1835 and hold a wealth of legal knowledge and expertise. Every year, students move out of Halls of Residence and look for private accommodation so they can complete their studies. Many landlords find the idea of renting a student house a daunting thought. Will they pay the rent on [...]

Businesses in the UK go into liquidation every day. This is the process in which a business is brought to an end, with all assets of the company being redistributed. The liquidation process can be a stressful time, especially for the business owners and directors involved. Liquidation can be welcomed and planned, but often it is caused […]

Rawlins Davy Appointed as Honorary Solicitors Within the BCTC Rawlins Davy has been appointed as the honorary solicitors within the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce. Rawlins Davy’s affiliation with the Chamber will benefit the Chamber and all its members in a number of ways. The Bournemouth Chamber’s decision to appoint Rawlins Davy shows the quality […]

Martin Davies is the Managing Director here at Rawlins Davy. He has recently taken over as President of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce (BCTC), following being an executive at the Chamber for some years. He also sits on the Bournemouth Town Centre BID, the Bournemouth Tourism & Management Board and is a trustee of Diverse Abilities. […]

RD now recommends to all charitable companies that it is desirable for those documents which provide for its governance to be updated to take into account recent changes in the general law relating to companies as well as recently introduced changes to the requirements of the Charities Commission. It is important for all of those […]

A. BACKGROUND The Companies Act 2006 (“the new Act”) changes the law applying to companies in very many respects but it doesn’t change the basic structure of them save that: 1. The purpose of the articles of association of any company is to provide governance for its internal management and administration by the creation of binding obligations between […]

Mediation services allow parties to discuss and resolve disputes alongside an unbiased mediator, avoiding expensive court proceedings. Martin Davies, Rawlins Davy PLC’s Litigation Director and accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator with leading Dispute Resolution Chambers, recently commented: “There has been a sea change in the way disputes are resolved. Since 1999 and with very positive […]

A’ HEADS UP’ FOR NON-EXECS “An invitation to join the board of a limited company as a non-executive director is a tempting one – for many, the main attraction being involvement and an element of ‘street cred’ without (apparent) onerous responsibility. However, a recent judgment of the Court of Appeal has underlined, yet again, the […]

Like most commercial lawyers, I frequently remind my clients that they should never sign any documentation unless they fully understand and agree with the content – and preferably have had the benefit of good documentation legal advice upon it! It is however important to remember that there are many occasions when we find ourselves having […]