You really should make a Will …

Posted by Justin on Dec 16, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments Far too many people don’t make a Will, assuming that their next of kin will inherit their estate automatically. That is not necessarily the case- if, for instance a man dies leaving a wife and two children, his widow will be serverly restricted in her entitlement in order to protect the interests of the children, sometimes with near-disastrous results. Also, if husband and wife with no...
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When lawyers and clients agree

Posted by Justin on Dec 4, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments It is particularly rewarding when a client “gets it”: when he or she so understands and appreciates my work philosophy that it almost a case of two minds with but a single view. However, it is very rare: I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of clients who are so in line with my attitudes and processes that there is never a glitch in the process of acting for...
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More on boundaries

Posted by Justin on Nov 28, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments Property boundaries are probably the single biggest cause of disputes with neighbours, each fighting fiercely to protect “their” land.  However, the position is rarely clear cut, and it is never worth falling out with your neighbour if it can be avoided The Physical Boundary: A registered title almost never shows ownership of individual boundary structures such as walls, fences and...
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Solicitors just don’t get it, do they?

Posted by Justin on Nov 26, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments On the whole, people (that includes solicitors’ clients) like to be treated as individuals, don’t they? They don’t usually want to be treated as “just another file”, yet all too often that is exactly how solicitors treat them: they expect clients to fit into the lawyers’ procedures, not the other way around. OK, procedures are often in place for very good...
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Tick box blockages

Posted by Justin on Oct 31, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments One of the problems we experience with residential conveyancing is the “tick box approach” of so many other firms It comes down to cost Because their business model is to do the work down to a (low) price, rather than up to a (high) standard, they delegate the work to the lowest grade (and therefore lowest paid) person who can deal with it: probably not legally qualified at all, but...
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Communication is key

Posted by Justin on Oct 27, 2011 in Nelsons' Column | 0 comments I do feel for this guy – it’s stressful enough moving house without your own lawyer going all uncontactable. I hope that we – as many other firms, to be fair – do better: we copy clients (and agents) in on relevant correspondence with the other conveyancers; we routinely communicate by email – or by text, if the client prefers that; we actively encourage clients to...
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