Care proceedings take place when children’s services have concerns for a child’s welfare or protection and consider that a child is at risk of significant harm.
This is a very specialised area of family law. Fitzhugh Gates solicitors have an experienced team who are able to deal with all aspects of these proceedings including representation at court.
We cover a broad range of proceedings and we represent children, parents, guardians and family members, working with sensitivity and empathy during this difficult time. We can advise you in relation to pre-proceedings meetings and children`s services court proceedings.
If you have been notified about attendance at one of these, do not hesitate to get in touch straight away.
The nature of this work is that proceedings can be issued at short notice. We are adept at handling such matters in a sympathetic and efficient way and we offer advice and information to ensure a full understanding of your rights and how the law may affect you and your family. We will also work hard to ensure that the child’s welfare is at the forefront of everything we do.
We represent both parents and children involved in care proceedings and in other public law proceedings in Brighton and throughout the Sussex area. Speak to our lawyers about funding for child care cases such as these – it is likely that you will qualify for free legal aid for representation.
We also specialise in other public law, such as special guardianship, adoption, children who are joined to private law proceedings and forced marriage protection orders.
Head of department: Craig Petri - Managing Partner.
Landlord and Tenant law is complex and mistakes made in the prescribed forms and procedures can have very costly consequences. Off the shelf or internet advice is often of little help when not in context.
We are proud of our extensive experience in dealing with complex issues arising from the landlord and tenant relationship. We handle both disputes with landlords and disputes with tenants in the following areas of practice:
- Drafting and advising on tenancy agreements
- Statutory notices to end a tenancy
- Dealing with problem tenants - unpaid rent or unreasonable behaviour
- Landlords or tenants breaching tenancy agreements
- Possession proceedings
- Rent arrears
- Claims by a tenant of unlawful eviction and disrepair
- Forfeiture
We believe that preventative advice is key to a successful landlord and tenant relationship and are here to help ensure that if things go wrong a solution is found as cost effectively and swiftly as possible. We can attend personally or arrange representation for landlords and tenants at courts throughout Sussex and beyond.
Head of Department: Ben Upward - Partner
We know that for some people instructing a solicitor can be a daunting task. Where we can give some general advice to people we are always happy to do so on the phone at no cost.
In some cases we need to see documents or you may prefer to meet us to see whether you want to instruct us on your matter. In these cases we can offer a fixed price service. This service will be suitable for you if you are seeking no obligation legal advice and guidance relating to your circumstances but are not sure if you wish to make use of our services right away.
In these cases you will meet with a solicitor for a full 45 minutes and after the meeting you will receive a letter setting out what was discussed for your future reference. Many issues can be dealt with in this initial session.
Writing to third parties on your behalf is not included. For that we can offer additional services often on fixed fee basis.
These sessions may not suitable in some circumstances, for example if you are already in complex court proceedings as we cannot contact the court or attend court as your representative. In other complex matters we will not be able to give specific advice as the time will be unsuited to that detail.
We will not retain any original documentation after the meeting. Due to the nature of these sessions we are under no on-going obligation to you other than the obligation to provide advice on what you tell us at the meeting and limited to the documents we are able to consider when we meet.
Please note to avoid disappointment that payment of the fixed fee amount and sight of some original ID such as a passport or photo driving licence etc. will be required before the meeting can proceed.
The fixed price for this consultation is £175 plus VAT at 20%.
Most clients find these sessions very helpful and go on to instruct us in their matter.
The Fitzhugh Gates family law department prides itself on the high quality of service its specialist solicitors deliver.
We adopt a constructive and personal approach to complex legal and emotional circumstances and we are proud to say our approach has resulted in most of our instructions originating from personal recommendation.
We will manage your case by utilising our experience and skills of listening, negotiating and representation at court.
We provide a range of services within the family law department and you can learn more about a specific topic on this website by clicking on one of the headings to the right.
Head of department: Craig Petrie - Partner
When buying or selling your home, Fitzhugh Gates is ready to support you at every step with a friendly and professional service.
Cost is of course always a factor when it comes to choosing who to look after your conveyancing when buying or selling a house, flat or any other kind of home and we endeavour to provide the very best value.
You may have a particular solicitor recommended to you by your estate agent. However before taking up their suggestion you should ask your estate agent if their recommendation is based upon the payment to them of a referral fee. As a matter of principle, Fitzhugh Gates does not pay estate agents fees in return for client leads; our business comes from honest recommendations based on the quality of our services.
In each of our offices your case will be supervised by an experienced and qualified solicitor ready to guide you in one of the most important events for you and your family. At Fitzhugh Gates you will have a direct dial phone number and email to contact us, rather than being assigned to one of the largely unqualified and anonymous 'conveyancing teams' used by some of our competitors. When making your conveyancing choices, make sure you understand the difference using us can make!
Our services include
- Conveyancing for the sale or purchase of your home.
- Varying and extending leases.
- Re-mortgages and equity release schemes.
- Boundary disputes.
- Joint ownership.
- Buying your freehold (Enfranchisement).
- Planning and building regulation advice.
- Letting or sharing your house or flat.
- Landlord and Tenant Conveyancing.
Head of department: Jodi Hamlin - Partner
How to get a conveyancing quotation
The first step in your purchase or sale should be appointing your solicitor, but you also need to understand what the legal side is likely to cost.
You can review our Residential Conveyancing Department People, Services and Fees here.
Fitzhugh Gates makes this really easy; you can contact our Shoreham-by-Sea office or use the online priority conveyancy quotation form.
We approach your divorce or dissolution proceedings with complete sensitivity.
A divorce can only be granted if the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
This is now a no fault process.
Your case will be taken to a conclusion in accordance with your individual instructions and circumstances of your case.
Head of department: Craig Petri - Managing Partner.
