Agriculture and Estates

Our team of agricultural solicitors understands all types of landowning issues. We are particularly known for dealing with unusually complex legal matters and finding creative solutions to help you manage your agricultural estate or farming business.
 

We are recognised for the depth of our expertise and experience in:

Management of landed estates and large farms

• Specialist advice on agricultural holdings and protected tenancies
   
• General estate matters: farmhouses and cottages, estate workers, tenants, renewable energy schemes, planning  fishing, sporting rights, easements and equestrian properties
   
• Balancing the internal interests of large families
   
• Partnership law, disputes and structuring
   
• Relationship and family issues including wealth protection both before and after marriage, divorce, separation, the dissolution of civil partnerships and matters relating to children
   

Tax-efficient structuring

• “Difficult concept” transactions: surrender and re-grant for IHT, partnership land capital accounts for CGT, strict settlements under the Settled Land Act, farming partnerships with company and trust partners and internal farm contracting arrangements
   
• Complex IHT and CGT mitigation, planning for business asset disposal relief
   
• Creation of tax efficient partnerships and trusts
   
• Partnership dissolution
   

Agricultural property

• Farm and estate sales, purchases and mortgages, with tax and funding advice
   
• Long-term funding transactions for farms and rural properties
   
• Basic Payment Scheme and environmental schemes
   
• General rural property transactions
   

Development land and tax

• Sales, options and promotion agreements for landowners
   
• Joint ventures and consortium development
   
• Bringing major development sites to fruition

We are keen to understand your business so that we are completely in touch with your needs and aim to provide clarity on all aspects of rural land and family farming estates.

Whether you have a landed estate, a complex farm with multiple family interests or an agricultural business, we will work alongside you, your family,  your trustees and other professional advisors to develop and protect your business for future generations.