Agriculture Law Solicitors
Famers and the farming community have faced – and are still facing – very difficult challenges in many ways. At Peter Peter & Wright, we understand and empathise with this.
Given our rural location, many of our staff members come from farming families or have backgrounds in farming. Two of our agricultural law partners have first hand knowledge of living and working on a farm themselves.
Agricultural law is a complex area of law and it’s important that farmers, landowners and agricultural businesses receive specialist advice in every aspect of agricultural law.
Our agricultural law solicitors have extensive experience in handling a wide range of agricultural legal matters and we aim to offer constructive and solution-driven advice at all times. We understand that situations may be difficult and sensitive, particularly where family members are involved, and we do our best to ensure your matter proceeds as smoothly as possible.
Peter Peter & Wright’s agricultural services include:
- Farm Sales and Purchases
- Succession Planning
- Agricultural Tenancies and Farm Business Tenancies
- Financing
- Landlord and Tenant
- Farming Contract Dispute Resolution
- Partnership Agreements
- Deeds of Easement
Contact our agricultural law solicitors today
Contact our agricultural law solicitors today should you require assistance. We also have a kiosk at Holsworthy Livestock Market and you will find a fee-earner from Peter Peter & Wright at the kiosk on Wednesday mornings.
Our agricultural law services
Farm sales and purchases
Our experienced agricultural law solicitors are able to assist with buying and selling farms and agricultural land and will encourage liaison with your own accountant to ensure that matters proceed in the most tax efficient way possible.
Our agricultural law specialists are on hand to provide clear and practical advice and support to assist the smooth progression of any farm sale or purchase. We appreciate that all farms are different and each transaction has its own set of circumstances, some of which may be more challenging, or difficult to overcome, than others.
We often handle farm purchases which include additional complexities, such as renewable energy infrastructure in situ (e.g. solar panels or wind turbines) which requires the relevant leases to be reviewed to ensure all obligations are complied with and establishing how rents and additional payments are made etc, or commoners rights which require investigation.
We are able to offer you specialist assistance throughout any farm sale and/or purchase.
Succession planning
As well as welcoming new clients, our agricultural law solicitors at Peter Peter & Wright have been acting for local farming families for many generations. We understand that succession planning is extremely important to farming families and businesses to secure the family and business future. With advice from your own accountant, we can assist you in taking the legal steps necessary to implement your succession plan; be this transferring land or property to children/family, preparing a Declaration of Trust or a Farm Business Tenancy or perhaps updating a Partnership Agreement.
Let us provide you with agricultural law help and assist you in formally implementing your succession plan.
Agricultural tenancies and Farm Business Tenancies
Agricultural tenancies can take many forms. Some farmland is still subject to longstanding Agricultural Holding Act tenancies which have rights of succession, but the most common type of tenancy now encountered are Farm Business Tenancies. Our agriculture solicitors have experience in advising both landlords and tenants about the terms of existing agricultural tenancies including advice on the rights and obligations contained within the tenancy agreement and compliance with agricultural tenancy legislation.
We can also assist in the preparation of new Farm Business Tenancies to ensure legally sound arrangements are put in place when farmland is to be leased.
Financing
We know that farming businesses often need to re-mortgage or extend finance over additional land or parts of the farm. Our agricultural law solicitors are experienced in dealing with this; we will review the mortgage/loan documentation carefully and will provide relevant legal advice to you. Our agriculture solicitors will ensure compliance with your specific mortgage lender’s requirements and try and proceed to a swift completion of the mortgage.
Landlord and tenant
We understand that disputes between landlords and tenants in agricultural settings can be very stressful. We can provide you with advice on a range of agricultural tenancy disputes including matters such as enforcing breaches of covenants contained in Farm Business Tenancy agreements, or defending such enforcement action. Our litigation solicitors are approachable and understanding and will provide you with clear advice.
Farming contract dispute resolution
We acknowledge that disputes arising from farming contracts can be particularly difficult, due to the close working relationship of the parties involved, and that it is important to try and overcome the issues and find a swift resolution to avoid ongoing conflict. Our litigation team can provide you with dispute resolution advice in relation to farming contracts.
Partnership Agreements
When a farming business is being operated as a partnership, it is advisable for a Partnership Agreement to be in place to confirm the assets of the partnership, how profits are to be shared, what is to happen if one partner wishes to leave etc. In conjunction with your accountant’s advice, we can assist in preparing the Partnership Agreement for you, to ensure your intentions and agreements are clearly documented at the outset, and hopefully avoid disputes in the future.
Deeds of Easement
Third parties often request that easements are granted over land, whether it’s a right of way for a specific purpose, or rights for services (e.g. water, drainage or electricity supplies). Whenever a right is granted to a third party, it is best that it is formally documented in a Deed of Easement which can be registered against each party’s legal title, so that the rights and obligations are clear. A Deed of Easement would clarify the exact rights granted and for what purpose, the maintenance obligations associated with those rights, obligations not to obstruct land etc. Our agricultural specialists can advise you in relation to a Deed of Easement and prepare the Deed on your behalf.
Why choose our agricultural law solicitors
Our agricultural law specialists have extensive experience and knowledge in agricultural and farming law and can assist with a wide range of matters. We can handle complex agricultural transactions efficiently and with sensitivity to rural business needs and each individual clients’ particular circumstances.
Our agricultural law solicitors will always endeavour to provide practical, solution-focused advice for farmers, landowners, and rural businesses.
Peter Peter & Wright is a local firm of solicitors with deep rooted foundations within the local community. We have been acting for local farming families for many generations. Our agricultural law specialists are committed to helping clients protect their assets and secure their businesses for future generations.
Frequently asked questions about agricultural law
What is agricultural law?
Agricultural law covers legal practices to support the agricultural industry and rural communities. It includes a wide range of matters such as farm and land sales and purchases, agricultural tenancies, succession planning, agricultural financing, compliance with environmental legislation etc.
How long will my farm sale take?
This very much depends on the complexity of the sale, whether the property is tenanted or vacant, exactly what the farm consists of, whether the buyer requires mortgage finance etc. However, on average, we would estimate a basic farm sale to take an average of 10 – 12 weeks, albeit this is variable and subject to no unforeseen circumstances arising.
How can an agricultural solicitor help with land disputes?
There are many different types of land disputes.
It could be that an agricultural tenancy is in place and there is a dispute between the landlord and tenant as to the terms of the tenancy or compliance with obligations in the tenancy agreement. An agricultural solicitor or litigation solicitor could assist in dealing with this dispute.
There could be a dispute between farming neighbours as to the extent of land owned or used by one farmer, in which case an agricultural solicitor could review the property title deeds to establish the legal boundaries of the property and provide advice in relation to this.
Farming neighbours could be disputing what easements or rights or covenants burden or benefit one farmer’s land. An agricultural specialist could review the property title deeds and establish what legal rights and covenants currently exist and advise about what steps would be required to acquire any additional legal rights or easements or how to enforce any breach of covenants.
Contact our agricultural law solicitors today
Contact our agricultural law solicitors today should you require assistance. Our agricultural law specialists are based in offices at:
We also have a kiosk at Holsworthy Livestock Market and you will find a fee-earner from Peter Peter & Wright at the kiosk on Wednesday mornings.