Wellington Gate

7-9 Church Road,

Tunbridge Wells,

Kent
TN1 1HT

T) 01892 510222

The office is located 10 minute walk away from the mainline station & opposite the Trinity Theatre
Client parking is located at the front of Wellington Gate & there is a pay and display car park next to the Trinity

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The team in Tunbridge Wells can offer advice for all areas for private individuals including wills & probate, family matters including matrimonial, all residential property issues including sale & purchase. Tunbridge Wells also has employment law specialists, business specialists and debt & litigation.

Please visit Our Team to find the appropiate person to help you or call us on 01892 510222

Buss Murton are pleased to announce that our charity of the year for 2012 will be Ellenorlions & chYps

Ellenorlions provide all encompassing hospice care and a  service for adults living in Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley and surrounding villages; whilst their  ”Children and young people’s service” – ‘chYps’ – extends further afield into Bexley and Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.

Every week, EllenorLions provides hospice care in the family home for 300 adults and 80 children; and each year 250 people receive in-hospice care. chYps were the UK’s first children’s full hospice at home service, and still one of only a very few acute services providing oncology and end of life care to children in the home and they have an on-going case load of up to 100 children and young people.

Ellenorlions services cost about £4.8 million a year but are free of charge to patients. The vast majority of money is raised by the local community & businesses supporting both Ellenorlions & chYps.

Buss Murton will be organising a series of fundraising activities and will be involved in some of the activities organised by the charity. Details will be posted on the website & for further information please visit http://www.chyps.org/howYouCanHelp/events/default.asp  & http://www.ellenorlions.org/howYouCanHelp/events/default.asp for more information.

Buss Murton acts for a number of prominent charities (both local and national) and not-for-profit organisations as well as providing advice to individuals with philanthropic objectives who wish to establish their own charities.  Our clients include start-up charities at one end to well-established charities which have been in operation for decades at the other.

Our work includes:

• All the business activities of charities and non-profit making bodies (including joint ventures, fundraising, mergers, and risk management for example)
• The creation of charities and their choice of structure: should it be a trust, a company, a CIC or a CIO?
• The variation of charitable constitutions, their management and funding, including the setting up of trading subsidiaries.
• Advising trustees on their fiduciary and regulatory duties including in particular the issue of Public Benefit.
• Negotiating with the Regulator and advising on charity investigations and reviews.
• Employment: problems with staff or volunteers?
• Property matters such as sales, purchases and relocations of charities.
• Legacy  Management.
• The formation, administration, and accounting of private family charitable trusts.
• A dedicated Charities Team.

If you require any further information please contact:
Tunbridge Wells

Alex Cuppage 01892 502321 acuppage@bussmurton.co.uk

Whilst it can be very disappointing to both the buyer and the seller to find out a problem has been uncovered, buyers shouldn’t immediately walk away from the purchase without considering all the options and discussing them with their solicitor who will have dealt with many similar situations in the past.

Firstly, put the faults into context. It will be difficult to find any house – even a brand new one – which a surveyor deems to be perfect, as it is their job to uncover faults. Don’t be afraid to ask them to explain the findings in more detail, especially if you have purchased a full structural survey where the report can run into many pages of recommendations.

Your solicitor will be able to make written enquiries to the seller’s solicitor so make a list of questions that you want written answers to. They may know more about the history of the property and the reasons why certain issues may have been identified and also what, if any, work they have carried out to the property, which may also come with transferrable guarantees, such as installing a damp proof course.

Don’t forget you can ask for the advice of other experts, often without having to pay out further expenses. Ask a local builder, electrician or plumber to give you their opinion on the work that has been identified, its structural significance, the cost of rectifying it and also how urgently it would need remedying and always get three written quotes to compare.

If you are planning to do work to the property, many of the faults could be rectified as part of the programme of work and it may be cheaper to identify in advance work that needs to be done and agree the price with the specialist, rather than uncovering problems as you go along.

If the issue is more serious, such as subsidence then talk to the seller and ask them to obtain a structural engineers report to explain the fault in more detail. In the current market sellers should be happy to do a fair share of the homework to provide you with enough information to make an informed decision. Please note the structural report would only be binding between the seller if they commission it and the structural engineer and as such you would not be able to sue the engineer if it was found to be incorrect in the future.

Your solicitor may also recommend you carry out further searches, such as a mining search, to find out if there might be any issues lurking beneath the ground that could be contributing to the problem.

Finally don’t be afraid to negotiate on the price, but keep it realistic. If the seller really wants to move they will have to accept their property has faults and will need to adjust the price accordingly. This can be difficult for some sellers to accept and your solicitor would recommend that you speak with the estate agent who is best placed to negotiate a price reduction direct with the seller on your behalf. Solicitors are also happy to negotiate on your behalf but this is likely to lead to increased costs and they cannot contact the seller direct.

Often home buyers find survey results daunting but they need to understand that few homes are perfect. Whilst the doctrine of ‘buyer beware’ always applies, there are further steps that a buyer can take before making a rash decision based on the results of their survey.
 

Buss Murton is a successful Law Firm based in Tunbridge Wells with smaller offices in Cranbrook and Dartford. They ask all customers to rate their performance and are pleased to publish their results.

• A Family client from our Cranbrook Branch said:“Very Helpful and Very Clear Advice, Thank you.”
• A Client from our Dartford office said that the Probate department he had been:“Most satisfied with the service that he had received and the promptness their work had been completed.”
• A Couple who required Property Solicitors said:“Thank you for handling our purchase so smoothly”
• “I was incredibly pleased with the whole experience, and even the cost was better than I thought it would” Thank you so much for all your hard work!” A Family client from the Tunbridge Wells branch has said.
• A Private client for probate said: “The Team were very helpful. Thank you.”
• A Client has thanked the Employment and Litigation team saying: “The team were efficient and worked hard for the best result. Thank you.”

Our Clients opinions on our service are very important to us. We are interested to get reviews back from all our clients as it can help us improve our service. We ask all clients to rate the work of our team in seven subsections including the ‘Advise that they are given” and the “efficiency with which we handled clients file throughout”.

Buss Murton Law LLP is sponsoring the Trinity Theatre’s autumn season commencing in October when the new technology will first be used.

Buss Murton’s Jan-Louise Denny explained the thinking behind the firm’s support for the initiative:

“We are always looking out for positive ways to support the community and we are delighted to be associated with this milestone. As people enjoy films in pristine quality, I am sure they will feel even more encouraged to return to return to the Trinity Theatre’s film events and ensure the venue retains its position as a vibrant cultural hub.”

Theatre Administrator Katherine Pursey said:  “These are exciting times for Trinity as we approach our 40^th year. Digital projection is the future and will give the cinema much greater flexibility than the current technology involving receiving prints on reels. Sometimes prints become worn during projection or lose resolution as copies are made but with digital technology that will now no longer be an issue.”

Further details on the autumn film series and ticketing can be found at www.trinitytheatre.net

In a recent survey* 67% of people in the UK did not know where to find their parents’ Will.

Reshma Field, Private Client Partner at Buss Murton Law LLP, Tunbridge Wells explains how problems typically occur and how the firm has identified a solution for clients:

“Buss Murton Law LLP recognised that although it keeps records of all its Wills and will never lose them, changing client circumstances, even moving to another area or simply the passage of time can sometimes make it difficult for relatives and executors to identify an individual’s last Will and its location. This could lead to financial loss and significant stress for all those involved.”

Reshma continues: “We wanted to improve our services even further so have signed up to Certainty, the UK’s online register of Wills. We believe we are the only local firm signed up to the register. Early signs are that the introduction of this service is bringing peace of mind to clients who appreciate the additional security that their final wishes will be carried out as they intend.”

The Register ensures that solicitors across the country can log the existence of Wills in a central place, helping ensure they are not overlooked. Wills are still kept by the solicitors under the scheme and no one at the register sees them.

Reshma Field continues: “Through the Certainty service following an individual’s death, Buss Murton Law LLP receives details of anyone who asks about a registered Will. We are also able to speed up requests to other solicitors to search their archives if a Will cannot be found when it is needed.”

Registration for an exemption is free and can be done online in a matter of minutes.  Many residential properties will be exempt from the need to have an environmental permit for which a fee is payable.

Daldeep Jaswal, partner at Buss Murton Law LLP comments: Anyone buying or selling a property that has private drainage should ensure that their solicitor checks that the property does indeed qualify for the free registration instead of the need to apply for an environmental permit.  In some cases you may want to reconsider the purchase of a property or review the offer price you have made if you discover the drainage is going to be very expensive to get up to the correct standard.”

“Properties will qualify for free registration if the septic tank or small sewage treatment plant is not near to a protected or designated area for the natural environment, treats sewage for 11 people or less a day and the discharge goes into the ground or if it is used to treat sewage for 27 or fewer people a day and the discharge goes into a river or stream.”

“Home sellers will now need to ensure they provide the next occupier in writing with details of any environment agency exemption and records of the maintenance and repairs for a minimum of the last five years.”

Daldeep Jaswal concludes: “It is anticipated many people will leave addressing the issue of registration to the last minute and they may find the Environment Agency has a backlog of cases to deal with which could slow the sale of your property or in the worst case halt it all together so I would advise people to look into the new rules and either register for an exemption or apply for a permit as soon as possible.”

Reshma Field is a Partner and head of the Private Client Department at Buss Murton Law LLP.  As well as working full time, Reshma has two primary school aged children.  Reshma gives us an insight into the working as a Private Client Solicitor and how she balances this with motherhood.

What do you do as a Private Client Solicitor?

We have a team of solicitors and legal executives that do a wide range of work.  For example, I draft Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorneys and help with the administration of estates.  I also advise clients about inheritance tax and planning for long term care.  Along with other members of the team I advice on all aspects of trusts and estate planning as well as dealing with the court of protection.  We do a lot more but this hopefully gives a general idea of the variety of work we do for our clients.

Why did Buss Murton decide to join the Will Aid Campaign?

This is the third year that we have participated in Will Aid and as a business we like to support charities, both local and national.  Will Aid is a great way to involve clients as well.  In the month of November, people are able to have their Will drafted by us and, surprisingly we get nothing out of it!  The Clients then make a donation directly to Will Aid and we store their Wills for them.  They can also have their Wills registered with Certainty.

What is Certainty and why did you join?

Certainty is a national register of Wills.   If we are storing Wills for any of our clients, both new and existing, they can contact us if they want us to register their Wills with Certainty.  Again this is a free service that we offer and is really a “belt and braces” approach to ensuring your Will is safe and secure.  As a traditional Tunbridge Wells firm we are offering our clients, not only a professional service but a level of client care that will exceed that offered by other larger companies, such as supermarkets, moving into the arena of providing legal advice. 

What do you think sets Buss Murton Law LLP apart from these larger “brands” that are emerging?

I think a lot of it comes down to personal service and the level of professional expertise we have.  We can look at clients as individuals with their own specific needs rather than trying to make them fit into a “box” or try and sell them a product.  We work with fellow professional advisers such as local accountants and financial advisers and we do what is in the best interest of our clients.  We know we do a good job because around 80% of our clients come back to us when they need legal advice, or in some cases when they need to defrost their fridges (don’t ask!).

How do you manage motherhood and working full time?

At this point I just want to clarify that being a mother is a full time job!  When I go to work, I can have a coffee in peace and talk to other adults about things that are completely unrelated to the Tweenies or Horrible Histories (although I have learnt more about the Tudors from that series than any history teacher ever taught me!).

All that aside, I won’t deny that it is really really hard.  My fellow “working” mummy friends and I all agree that we live with a constant sense of guilt.  Guilt that we do not spend enough time with our children and guilt when we have to leave the office because we need to collect the children from school (even though we start working again when the children are in bed). 

What do you do in your spare time?

I’m laughing hysterically!  What spare time?  What I can say is that as my husband and I both work long hours during the week, we try and keep the weekends as free as possible to do things with the children.  In between their various tennis, swimming and drama lessons, we do try and get out and about.  I also like supporting local charities and I am a “chYps Champion”.  This is a relatively new charity in Tunbridge Wells and is part of the Ellenor Lions Hospices.  ChYps provides hospice care at home for children and young people and I hope to be able to dedicate more personal time to raising money for them.

 Let Buss Murton Register your will for free with the Certainty Registry of Wills

 In a recent survey, 67% of people surveyed did not know where to find their parents’ Wills. Registering your Will with Certainty ensures that we can log the existence of your Will in a central place.  This means that your Will is easily traceable by your beneficiaries and not overlooked.

 Buss Murton also keeps a database of all the Wills which we hold, but changing circumstances, moving to another area or simply the passage of time can sometimes make it difficult for beneficiaries to locate your Will. The registry records that we hold your Will; no one has access to it, and we continue to store it for you.

 Registering your Will with Certainty ensures your last wishes are respected and gives you peace of mind.

 For information on how to register please contact Jan-Louise Denny on 01892 510222.