Approach to costs
Solicitors at Humphreys & Co. always aim to approach
legal work in a financially-disciplined way. We offer
competitive rates. Our charging approach is both transparent
and geared to the options open to our clients. Our
solicitors generally charge by reference to time spent but
we can often agree fixed fees for specific work or in some
cases risk-adjusted funding structures.
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Send us a summary of your circumstances and objectives for a quick response. |
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Conveyancing: commercial property
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We offer straightforward advice to a
range of business property users - landlords,
tenants, developers & agents
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Our commercial
property lawyers offer professional, cost-effective
service on a range of commercial property matters.
We aim to achieve each client's objectives quickly,
working to tight deadlines and to a high-standard.
We are experienced across the full range of property
types:
business premises, shop leases, office leases,
restaurant leases, investment and industrial properties,
pub leases, clubs and hotels.
We can assist with the
following issues:
- Freehold
business premises sale/purchase/remortgage
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Drafting/negotiating/advising on transfers
(assignments) of existing leases
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Drafting/negotiating short term lease/licence
arrangements
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Commercial property work related to the sale of a
business
- Advice
on commercial mortgages
- Deal
negotiation and projects
- Finance
and security
- Development
and planning issues
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Extensions/renewals of existing leases
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Negotiating/advising on termination of leases (lease
surrender)
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Possession proceedings
- Advice
and negotiation on rent reviews
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Advising on dilapidation issues and litigation
- Service
charge issues
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We offer
a highly commercial and cost-competitive
service nationwide - London, Bristol,
Birmingham, Manchester, Norwich, Cardiff,
Liverpool, Plymouth, Nottingham, Canterbury,
Southampton, Oxford, Swansea...
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Instructing specialist commercial property solicitors
results in a faster transaction, often with costs
savings, as the focus is on the fundamental issues and
advising clients in a commercial, practical manner.
Whether you are looking to buy or sell, or are a
landlord or tenant, please contact us now for an
immediate itemised quotation with options and
recommendations.
The current economic climate has reinforced the need for
effective budgeting, which is why we offer fixed rate
charges on many commercial property transactions.
Some of our key commercial property practice
areas
Commercial
conveyancing
We deal with the transfer of
industrial, commercial and retail properties,
including licensed premises. Whether you want
to buy, sell or lease a shop, pub, club,
office or restaurant, we can help. We oversee
sales for business occupation or investment,
as well as buying and selling at auction. |
Auction purchases
Are you
considering purchasing a property at
auction? We can review the legal pack
supplied by the seller’s solicitor and
report to you on its contents. This will
include investigating the title to the
property, reporting on any leases in place,
reviewing and reporting on any search
results provided and highlighting any areas
where further information should be sought.
If you go on to bid on the property
and are successful at auction we can
also deal with completion of the
purchase and post-completion matters such as
drafting the transfer documentation, filing
a Stamp Duty Land Tax return, registering
your title at the Land Registry and
notifying any existing tenants of the change
of landlord.
In the majority of cases we are able
to offer a fixed charge for review of the
seller’s legal pack and a separate fixed charge for completion of the
purchase.
Legal packs are often available
electronically to allow documentation to be
reviewed even more quickly and efficiently
to assist you in making the decision as to
whether or not to attend the auction.
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Landlord and tenant
Our team can
provide tailored advice to both landlords
and tenants on all aspects of lease
negotiation. Areas include: lease
renewal and surrender, licences (assignment,
alteration, subletting) and rent review.
Some key issues to consider in relation to a
commercial lease are outlined below:
- Length
of term. In recent years there
has been a growing tendency for tenants to
seek shorter terms. There are a number of
pros and cons for both the parties to a
commercial lease in this respect and it is
worthwhile seeking advice to help
establish the approach most suitable for
your business and position.
- Rent,
rent reviews and break clauses.
It is important to seek professional
advice to establish the fair rent for the
premises. You should also consider whether
your lease should contain an ‘option to
determine’, or in other words, whether the
landlord and tenant should be entitled to
break the lease at some point during the
term.
- Obligation
to repair. It is important that
the tenant fully understands the extent of
his obligation to repair, whether this is
an internal repairing liability, a full
repairing liability and/or a liability to
refund a proportion of the costs incurred
by the landlord in repairing a building of
which the premises form a part.
- Assignment
or sub-letting. When agreeing the
terms for a commercial lease, the landlord
and tenant should consider the
arrangements for assignment or
sub-letting.
- Alterations.
Most landlords will wish to keep
total control over the structure of the
building and carefully drafted Lease
should reflect this. However, a tenant
should consider whether he might need to
make structural alterations and may wish
to include this provision in the lease.
Humphreys & Co. are experienced in
negotiating tenaciously from both
perspectives and can advise you
accordingly.
- Improvements.
A Lease should state how a tenant’s
improvements are to be reflected when the
rent is reviewed, particularly where the
tenant has carried out extensive
re-fitting works.
- The
authorised use of the premises. The
landlord should usually ensure that the
"User" provisions in a lease prevent a
tenant from changing its use to one which
attracts a lower rental value than the use
the landlord intends. Equally, most
tenants will wish to make sure that the
user provisions in the lease allow him as
much flexibility as is reasonable, so that
if he has to assign the lease, he is not
unduly limited when the premises are
marketed as to the type of business which
the user provisions in the lease allow to
be carried on.
- Formal
notices. It is important that
the commercial landlord or tenant has a
full understanding of the need for and
the effect of the formal notices
required in connection with leases.
These notices cover the termination and
renewal of leases, the operation of
break clauses, the operation of rent
review provisions in leases, and repair
and dilapidation notices in particular.
Failure to serve or deal with notices
within the relevant time limits can
result in severe consequences.
- Forfeiture of lease.
Where necessary,
we can assist with the repossession of a
commercial property, including terminating
the lease and handing control back to the
landlord. We will advise you on correct
procedure and ensure that the lease is
forfeited through peaceful entry of the
premises, changing the locks and correct
display of the notices of forfeiture.
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Business transfers
Our experience in this broad area
spans overseeing building and consultancy
contracts, site assembly and forward sale
agreements. We can also advise on options,
joint ventures, and sale and leaseback
arrangements. |
Planning
and environment
We have strong planning expertise and
can advise and represent on a range of
planning issues from application procedure
through to appeals and enforcement. |
Finance
We
can help with all aspects of property finance,
including mortgage arrangements, equity funding
and rental deposits.
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Contact us now for a commercially focused
quotation
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Fixed charge package
with options and recommendations
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A selection of our
client feedback:
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"Mr Morris, just a
quicky email to say how pleased I have been with
your company's services. I am most grateful for
all your help and will certainly use you again
and recommend wherever possible."
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"Hi Jonathan and
David, thank you for the mail and for the great
job done on this completion."
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Accessibility
We take instructions from UK & international clients. Our independent lawyers are available by email, telephone & fax. With central Bristol offices we are just 90 minutes from London by road or rail and 15 minutes from Bristol International Airport. We can travel to meetings if required.
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Independent approach
We are an independent professional law firm here, not a legal factory turning out mass-produced products. In our experience, determined case-handling is more likely to produce effective results.
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Turnaround time
Solicitors at Humphreys & Co. look to input not only
careful legal work and precision but also the determination
to keep matters moving. They aim to work in clients' real
interests with energy and pragmatism.
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Communication skills
Solicitors at Humphreys & Co. always try to open up the
legal process by giving advice and explaining options to
clients in a concise and straightforward way, identifying
clear courses of action whatever the technical or legal
complexities of the subject. |
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