Agricultural and Rural Business Solicitors

The Group acts on a wide range of agricultural-related property matters involving rural businesses.

Our agriculture lawyers advise and assist with farm, estate and development land sales and purchases including conditional contracts, overage arrangements, options and transactions involving the need for changes in planning.

We have particular expertise in selling and purchasing land for development. Such transactions require careful structuring and specialist documentation depending on the individual case.

Our agriculture solicitors help find the most appropriate structure and draft the necessary documentation to include preparation of promotion agreements, joint-venture documentation and other conditional agreements.

Our clients are often looking to diversify and explore commercial opportunities. These may involve the grant of rights for drainage mining/minerals opportunities, access rights, and renewable energy etc.

Our team of agriculture experts are able to provide specialist advice and work with our network of professional contacts in these areas to ensure our clients can take the best advantage of the opportunities and minimise risk.

We support our clients’ business diversification activities and assist with their commercial lease requirements, advising at heads of terms stage and transactionally.

Our agriculture lawyers recognise that not all business relationships proceed smoothly and from time to time issues can arise. We are able to provide commercial advice in relation to property and business disputes on a cost-effective basis.

Every landed estate and agricultural business has different challenges and opportunities. This may involve diversifying the current business offering, entering into a new business venture or restructuring the business to facilitate a smooth transition to the next generation. 

We will bring fresh thinking and commercial solutions.

Our agriculture solicitors regularly advise our agricultural and rural clients and also have particular expertise in respect of:

• preparing and advising on constitutional documentation (i.e. shareholders agreements, partnership agreements and limited liability partnership agreements);
• retirement and admission of new partners or shareholders;
• succession and retirement planning;
• mergers and farm sharing arrangements; and
• advising on the transition from the traditional partnership model to a limited company status or a hybrid mix of the two.

Our agriculture team take the time to understand your business structure to ensure that you receive legal advice appropriate to your specific circumstances.

Our specialists regularly advise farming families, rural business owners and landowners on the best way to pass their assets on to their family.

Planning is essential to ensure that this is done in a tax-efficient way and to minimise the likelihood of disputes after death.

Often our clients need trust advice to enable them to protect wealth and look after their beneficiaries. We can advise on whether a trust is suitable for your situation and explain how this would work in practice.

Our agriculture experts can assist with the following common concerns:

• Inheritance tax planning and the availability of reliefs, such as Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief;
• preparing tax-efficient Wills suitable to your circumstances;
• protecting assets from third parties, for vulnerable beneficiaries or for tax purposes;
• preparing for times of illness or issues with mental capacity;
• how to fairly divide assets between beneficiaries;
• dealing with a business after death.

We work with other experts within the property and corporate teams, as well as other professionals, to provide tailored, all round advice.

Our agriculture team find that our clients value our practical and personal approach, which ensures that they get the right advice for their circumstances and their concerns.

Download Our Guide to Agricultural Divorce

Nichola Bright represented the Wife in an agricultural divorce involving a lucrative farming business run across 4 farms. 

There were two historic Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) Tenancies, an Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) and owned land/properties to consider.

A specialist forensic accountant was required to value the farming business and, where possible, particularise the value of the different farming operations across livery, silage and haymaking.

An Agricultural land agent was needed to advise on the assignment of tenancies and the remaining succession rights.

Nichola Bright represented the Wife in a highly contentious agricultural divorce involving 300 acres of Cheshire farmland and buildings.

A RICS surveyor was required to advise on the value of the whole and of part, particularly as part of the land was much more valuable due to prior residential planning permission.

A Land Agent assisted with advice on transferring Stewardship and farm grants from husband to wife. Nichola assisted the Wife in securing a financial order which transferred to her 50% of the farmland.

Client Intro
Our client is the widow of a deceased farmer, involved in a complex dispute concerning the ownership and succession of long-established family farming assets.

Case Overview
We acted for the defendant in a high-value proprietary estoppel claim arising from the succession of a multi-generational farming business comprising distinct parcels of agricultural land.

During his lifetime, the deceased had transferred a substantial farming unit, including the principal farmhouse, to one child. Under his Will, separate land was left to our client. The claim was brought on the basis of alleged assurances that the entirety of the farming business would ultimately pass to the claimant.

Our client’s position was that any such assurances related to the principal farm only and had already been fulfilled through the lifetime transfer. We advanced detailed arguments that the remaining land formed a separate and independently viable holding, both legally and operationally, and was never intended to form part of any wider promise.

The matter required careful analysis of historic ownership structures, the evolution of the farming arrangements, and how different parcels of land were treated and understood within the family. We also addressed issues of alleged detriment, including the extent to which the claimant’s contribution to the farming business had already been recognised and compensated.

We defended the claim to protect our client’s interest in the remaining landholding and to uphold the distinction between assets transferred during lifetime and those passing under the estate.

“In farming disputes, the detail of how land is owned, used and understood over time is critical. We focused on demonstrating that the arrangements in place already reflected what had been promised.”
– Clare Wainwright, Senior Associate

Client Intro
Our client is an independent professional administrator appointed by the court to manage a deceased’s estate following a dispute between the originally appointed executors.

Case Overview
We act for the administrator in a contentious estate involving a long-standing farming partnership between the deceased and a surviving family member. The dispute centres on the ownership and entitlement to partnership assets and co-owned agricultural land following the death of one of the partners.

In the absence of a written partnership agreement, complex legal issues arise regarding the dissolution of the partnership, the distribution of partnership assets, and the treatment of jointly owned property. The estate includes agricultural land and residential property, and the matter has required extensive disclosure and detailed analysis of historic financial and operational arrangements.

With uncertainty around post-dissolution profits and asset ownership, the claim has been valued in excess of £1.5 million, requiring careful legal and strategic management to clarify the estate’s entitlement.

“This case highlights the risks of informal farming arrangements. Our role is to establish clarity over ownership and ensure the estate’s position is properly protected.” – Adam Maher, Partner

Client Intro
Our client is a farming landowner seeking to structure her estate to provide for multiple family members while preserving the viability of the farm.

Case Overview
We advised on estate and Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning for a rural estate involving agricultural land and residential property occupied by family members. A key consideration was balancing the needs of one family member who both lived and worked on the farm, with the wider intention to provide fairly for other beneficiaries.

Following anticipated changes to the IHT regime, there was a risk that part of the landholding would need to be sold to meet future tax liabilities. We worked alongside tax advisers to assess the availability of Agricultural Property Relief and implemented a restructuring of the estate to mitigate this risk.

This included separating residential property from the wider holding, making lifetime gifts within available tax allowances, and establishing a discretionary trust to support future succession planning. We also advised on further testamentary arrangements to protect assets for the next generation.

As a result of this structured approach, the client was able to significantly reduce potential IHT exposure while maintaining the integrity of the farming business and ensuring a balanced outcome for the family.

“This was about carefully balancing tax efficiency with the practical realities of a working farm and family dynamics. The structure we put in place gives the client long-term certainty and flexibility.”
– Bik-ki Wong, Partner

Client Intro
Our client is a property investment company acquiring rural and mixed-use assets as part of its long-term investment strategy.

Case Overview
We acted for the client on the acquisition of a substantial rural property in Cheshire, comprising over 40 acres of land and subject to a combination of occupational arrangements, including two farm business tenancies of the arable land, a commercial lease of horse stables, and an assured shorthold tenancy of the farmhouse.

The transaction involved a transfer of part from a larger registered title, requiring careful delineation of boundaries and rights. A key issue arose in relation to access, as the title did not directly connect to an adopted highway. We worked closely with the seller to address this through supporting evidence and appropriate title indemnity insurance.

The matter required a coordinated approach to manage multiple tenancies, title complexities, and future development considerations, ensuring the client acquired a secure and commercially viable asset.

“This transaction brought together a number of technical property issues, from access and title structure to overage and occupational arrangements. Our role was to ensure each element was properly addressed to give our client confidence in the investment.”
– Sarah Cowen, Partner

Client Intro
Our client is an individual who worked for many years on a family farm and brought a claim in relation to their expected inheritance and financial provision.

Case Overview
We act for a claimant in a dispute concerning a substantial family farm forming part of a wider estate. Our client worked on the farm for several decades from a young age, receiving significantly below-market remuneration and playing an active role in its day-to-day operation and long-term management.

Our client’s case is based on longstanding assurances that they would inherit a meaningful interest in the farm. However, later testamentary arrangements significantly reduced their expected entitlement, ultimately leaving them with minimal provision.

We advised on a combination of claims, including proprietary estoppel and a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, reflecting the common overlap of legal issues in agricultural estate disputes. The matter required careful consideration of historic family arrangements, financial contributions, and reliance on assurances over an extended period.

“These cases often turn on decades of informal family arrangements. Our role is to translate those expectations into a clear legal framework and secure a fair outcome for our client.”
– Eleanor Clarke, Partner