With contested wills on the rise, charities are keen to avoid the emotional, financial and reputational costs of legacy disputes. Our specialist team understands that legacy officers and trustees have a challenging role; to manage risk, make the most of opportunities and ensure decision-making is in the best interests of the charity. We can provide practical guidance on the options available to charities when faced with a legacy dispute, helping to navigate the legal minefield and help protect this much needed source of income.

Depending on their size, activity and degree of maturity, a charity will require tailored support when dealing with HR matters. The requirements range from assisting charities on how to meet their legal obligations as employers to helping them deal with particular challenges, including relationships with volunteers. These can arise at an employee level, such as dealing with an individual’s poor performance or ill health, or at organisation-wide level such as the adoption of a new reward framework or restructuring.

Our property specialists are experienced in delivering a full range of property and planning services to charities and social enterprises. Our 40 strong team consists of lawyers who are consistently recognised as leaders in their field. Our property team works closely with our construction law experts and property dispute resolution team to provide a comprehensive service providing advice on all aspects of estate management and commercial property issues including:

• acquisitions and disposals; 
• agreements for leases; 
• development and construction agreements; and 
• dispute resolution. 

We assist numerous organisations to establish charities or social enterprises and are frequently instructed by organisations that have a long history in the sector. We can advise on partnership working arrangements where organisations wish to work together towards a common goal and need to protect their interests as well as setting up a new organisation. This involves:

• guiding organisations through the options available to ensure the right legal structure with a clear direction on the pros and cons to help balance risks; 
• arranging appropriate constitutional documents;
• dealing with the registration process with the Charity Commission; and 
• giving the organisation the best start through provision of policies and contracts.