The Firm
Services
Company
Commercial Property
Town Planning
Litigation
Employment
Tax and Estate Planning
Matrimonial
Domestic Conveyancing
Contact us
15 - 23 Hagley Road
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY8 1QW
Tel: 01384 371622
Fax: 01384 374057
Founded in 1830, Wall, James & Davies solicitors has expanded both organically and through amalgamation and today offers a comprehensive legal service to a broad spectrum of corporate and individual clients.
Strength is derived from traditional links to the area whilst a modern outlook and the expertise of the partners has resulted in a firm with the depth and ability to deal with specialised work combined with the flexibility to deliver a highly personal service.
As a commitment to the provision of quality service. each client is encouraged to view a particular partner as their contact with the firm. This aids the development of a closer relationship with clients, thus achieving a greater appreciation of their circumstances and objectives.
* The Firm is Regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority in the conduct of Investment Business.
* Safe custody of deeds, wills and other documents is available in dedicated premises.
* The offices have been specifically designed to meet the needs of disabled clients.
* Car parking is available at the rear of the offices for clients attending the offices.
Founded in 1830, Wall, James & Davies solicitors has expanded both organically and through amalgamation and today offers a comprehensive legal service to a broad spectrum of corporate and individual clients.
Strength is derived from traditional links to the area whilst a modern outlook and the expertise of the partners has resulted in a firm with the depth and ability to deal with specialised work combined with the flexibility to deliver a highly personal service.
As a commitment to the provision of quality service. each client is encouraged to view a particular partner as their contact with the firm. This aids the development of a closer relationship with clients, thus achieving a greater appreciation of their circumstances and objectives.
Partners:
Jonathan M. Browne LLB. (1978)
Roger Davies(Notary Public) (1967)
Roger W. Kendrick (1967)
Julian Dolman MA. (1966)
Simon J. Beddow LLB. (1980)
Christopher Hamlyn (1977)
Teresa Stepien
Susannah Griffiths LLB.
Town Planners :
Bob Jolly BSc. Dip TP. MRTPI.
Elizabeth Mitchell MA, BSC (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI
Assistants:
Judith Godbehere F. Inst. L. Ex.
Sandra Buffam TEP.
Jane Rudge LLB.
Ruth Horton LLB.
James Rousell B.A.
The firm is divided into Departments with particular specialities:
Private Client
Conveyancing
Town Planning
Company and Commercial
Matrimonial
Litigation
The following broad range of legal services is offered:
For the Business Client:
Company
Commercial
Employment
Commercial Litigation
For the Individual:
Conveyancing
Service agreements
Wills Trusts and Tax
Matrimonial
Litigation
For Business and Individual Clients:
Whether you are starting a business from scratch, or running an established company, we can provide you with specialist advice to help you achieve your objectives.
Wall James & Davies will look at the overall picture with you, concentrating on providing a professional service at competitive rates, with the emphasis on practical and prompt commercial advice in plain English.
Roger Davies is the head of the department which is supported by our employment, property and litigation specialists within the firm.
We have helped our clients;
set up their businesses as sole traders, partnerships or limited companies
with their company constitutions, structures, re-organisations and de-mergers including company purchases of own shares
buying and selling companies and businesses, with management buy-outs and forming new joint ventures
with shareholder agreements, directors service agreements and cross options
secure borrowings and lending liabilities
plan their exit strategies, including succession and estate planning
with franchising opportunities
enter into agency, distribution, marketing, manufacturing and sales agreements
prepare their terms and conditions of sale and purchase
to establish e-commerce opportunities
We believe in building long term relationships with clients – if we know you and your business we are in a better position to help you.
The Commercial Property department is led by Roger Kendrick .
The department's clients range from sole traders to substantial developers, and the nature of their work, are varied and commercially demanding. Our priority is the attainment of all the client's commercial objectives which may involve applying a raft of skills to a particular case, ranging from town planning to taxation. These services are all available in-house.
We are also well used to working in tandem with the client's other professional advisers, such as accountants and surveyors, and this sort of multi-disciplinary approach is frequently helpful.
The range of services includes:
Development and funding schemes
Sale, purchase and leases of all types of commercial property
Residential estate development
Commercial estate development
Taxation of property
Leasing of offices, shops, industrial units and estates
Rent reviews
Lease renewals
Town planning, including appeals
Licensed premises
Agricultural tenancies and property
One of the very few specialist planning departments in a law firm, we offer a dedicated specialist town planning service to both individual & corporate clients.
With three qualified planners in the department we offer both witness and advocacy services 'in house' - which is both cost saving and effective. The department is led by Julian Dolman .
We handle applications, negotiations and appeals of all sorts, ranging from planning and enforcement appeals to particular subjects such as listed buildings, conservation areas etc.. S.106 agreements with local authorities and unilateral undertakings are employed as constructive planning tools to further the clients aims.
With the emphasis on the statutory role of the development plan emphasised, it is of great importance to every individual and business who owns property to ensure that his interests will not be adversely affected by the development plan policies. We regularly represent property owners in such cases by making appropriate representations in writing and by way of hearing (if required).
Much work is undertaken as agents for other professionals such as architects and other firms of solicitors.
In all work, the client's objective is the paramount consideration, and the expertise employed, be it for a single house, or a supermarket, is shaped for the whole of the client's position including objective, cost and time scale.
We realise that litigation can be not only lengthy, but personally distressing, and expensive. We find that practical legal advice at an early stage can and often does help to speed procedures (and to make them less upsetting) - and we always aim to attempt to resolve problems quickly and cost-effectively. You play an important role in your own case, and we understand the need to communicate with you promptly, regularly and fully so that you understand what we are doing and why. The Department is led by Simon Beddow.
We can offer advice on the following:
Business and Commercial disputes
Debt Collection
Defective goods and services
Insurance claims
Land and property disputes
Professional negligence
The growth of legislation and the impact of European Law have developed the individual's rights, and led to increased obligations upon employers.
We offer a full service to meet our client's increasing need and demands. We place great emphasis on preventative advice, to avoid problems arising and to reduce the client's legal and other costs.
We realise that our advice and assistance cannot resolve all problems and that it may be necessary for clients to bring and defend proceedings in courts and employment tribunals. We have considerable experience (including the provision of advocacy services), and a high success rate in this field.
The department is led by Simon Beddow and areas in which we advise, assist or represent clients are as follows:
Terms and conditions of employment
Unfair dismissal cases
Redundancy
Wages disputes
Transfer of jobs and undertakings
Discrimination cases
Health and safety at work
The importance of the work of this department in safely securing the best interests of one's family and its assets cannot be overemphasised. A particular benefit can be derived from your solicitor being fully aware of your family's financial circumstances including its changes - continuity of advice is often said to be the best security - and that continuity of expert professional advice is exactly what we provide. The partners within this department are Christopher Hamlyn and Susannah Griffiths.
Wills, Probate, Trusts and Tax Planning
The range of legal services undertaken by the Private Client department which is headed by, Christopher Hamlyn [link to C. Hamlyn profile] are as follows:
Preparation of wills and their regular review
Obtaining probate, and the administration of estates
Deeds of Variation
Personal tax planning including mitigation of Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and other taxes, and advice on domicile and residence
Creation, variation, administration and winding up of all kinds of trusts, including non-resident trusts
The provision of trustee services
Powers of Attorney
Court of Protection matters
Advice on the financing of long term residential care and the protection of 'family' capital
Through established links developed with various regulated Financial advisers, we offer access on beneficial terms to particular and specialist consultants providing advice on:
Investment
Pensions and
Insurance.
If you would like further information or to discuss this matter further please contact Christopher Hamlyn or Susannah Griffiths.
Specialist Legal Services for Older People
Payment for the cost of Residential Care in later years worries many people nowadays. Treatment for illness is provided by the State, but frequently pressure is put on older people to sign themselves out of NHS accommodation, with the result that they then have to pay for private care. We can advise on this changing status and its financial consequences.
When considering the financial options for paying for private Residential Care, or indeed Nursing Care in some cases, both older people and their families are concerned about security of care, and the way it will be paid for, particularly if the older person has a house, (often mortgage free at that time of life) which normally a family might expect to inherit in due course.
We believe that it is critically important that clients are aware not just of their legal rights with regard to Residential Care, but also of the options which may be open to them to protect their property. Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible to "save" your property from the State simply by giving it away. What is possible, is to take reasonable steps, for sound reasons, in advance of any need, in order to legally safeguard some or all of your property against the time when the need may arise later.
But there are many other issues in addition to those of cost and security which are involved when considering long-term care, and since each case is inevitably different, we offer an individually tailored service to each client. Included in comprehensive help, is specialist advice on individual topics which may be necessary, such as Wills, Personal Tax Planning and Enduring Powers of Attorney.
What is fundamental, is the taking of precautionary and protective steps as early as practicable, and in this we will help with all the necessary, and difficult, decisions.
If you would like further information or to discuss this matter further please contact either Christopher Hamlyn or Susannah Griffiths.
"Stress" is a much-used word nowadays, particularly in relation to divorce, maintenance and access (to children). Our family law department headed by Jonathan Brown is well used to handling all these sorts of problems, and many more. We cannot make them "stress-free", but because we deal with them promptly, accurately and efficiently, at least we can help the client by minimising the stress.
Violence in the home is not uncommon, and is always traumatic, as we are well aware. We prepare emergency injunctions if required and can take all necessary legal steps to restrain the violent partner or spouse.
The financial division of assets on divorce requires special attention because an ill-judged financial settlement will cause resentment for many years to come. We take particular care, obtaining any necessary specialist valuation, to ensure beyond doubt that any financial settlement is fair.
Unmarried people living together also have problems when they separate, and we provide a range of advice to support the unmarried.
Civil Partnerships have now come into existence and we can now provide a range of advice in relation to the consequences of entering into such a partnership and of the breakdown of such a partnership.
Since children are the people who are most commonly hurt by a divorce or separation, we always aim to place their welfare at the top of the parents' priorities, and by so doing help the children to a calmer understanding of what has happened.
We advise on:
Divorce
Maintenance
Cohabitation agreements and separations
Emergency injunctions
Disputes in relation to children
Dealings with the child support agency
Entitlement to benefit in relationship breakdown situations
We also advise on the availability of and eligibility for Legal Funding.
Moving house, selling your home and buying a new one, can be not just a worrying time, but much worse than that, can land the unwary with grave problems and financial burdens. It is the job of our Domestic Property department headed by Teresa Stepien seconded by Clare Marriott to take these worries off you.
It is not just the daily liaison which we carry out with estate agents, surveyors, mortgage lenders and so on, that is important - it is - but it is only part of the job. Perhaps the main part is making sure you do not buy hidden liabilities when you buy your new home. For example that legally the property has all the necessary and relevant legal rights attaching; for example, charges for making up the road, or repairing the drains would be the last financial straw for many people, and a house with no authorised vehicular access can turn into a nightmare.
We provide a fixed price, detailed quote on request, before we start work, and our computerised service is as quick as you dictate it must be.
We offer much more in the Domestic Property Department than just buying and selling houses. Other areas covered include:
Lettings and tenancies
Mortgage advice and remortgages
Advice on surveys
Stamp duty, land tax and taxation on property generally
Conveyancing (for matrimonial cases, for deceased estates)
Advice on town planning problems (for example: "neighbour" problems and that "major" development down the road which may blight your property)
15 - 23 Hagley Road
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY8 1QW
Tel: 01384 371622
Fax: 01384 374057