Agricultural Disputes

Our disputes lawyers have a strong focus on agricultural litigation, representing farming families, farm partnerships and agricultural businesses in a wide range of disputes. We have established a reputation for providing insightful, commercially focused and robust representation of agricultural families and businesses in disputes that profoundly affect their futures. With our roots firmly in the rural and agricultural economy of Cornwall and Devon, we understand the unique challenges and pressures faced by farming and agricultural families and businesses, and in particular the significance that land and property play in your lives and businesses.

We have extensive expertise in the following areas:

• Agricultural property disputes, including:
  • Disputes relating to the sale and purchase of property
  • Title rectification issues
  • Disputes involving wayleaves, rights of way, boundaries, restrictive covenants and easements
  • Trespass and nuisance claims, including flooding and drainage issues
  • Planning disputes
  • Party Wall Act disputes
  • Adverse possession
  • Removal of trespassers
  • Applications relating to trusts of land and co-ownership disputes
  • Overage disputes
  • Disputes relating to option agreements
• Agricultural landlord and tenant disputes, including disputes relating to farm business tenancies and Agricultural Holding Act Tenancies
• Farming succession disputes
• Estate management disputes
• Farming partnership, company and shareholder disputes
• Contractual disputes (supplier, finance, machinery agreements)
• Renewable energy disputes
• Disputes relating to rural professionals
• Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

Agricultural insight

Coodes has deep knowledge of the unique pressures and challenges faced by farming families and businesses in the agricultural sector in Cornwall and Devon. From easements and covenants to boundary disputes and ‘squatters’ rights’ we have expertise and experience in representing the interests of farming and agricultural families, helping you to preserve and protect your properties and your legacies.

We understand that when disputes occur in the agricultural sector, they can involve very large sums of money, valuable assets and years, even generations of family interests and investment.

Whatever the issue, we will take the time to understand your specific concerns and to set the dispute in the wider context of your agricultural business before finding a solution that helps you achieve your objectives. Members of our Commercial and Personal Disputes teams are listed in the leading legal directories for their expertise in rural disputes and our team features several fellows of the Agricultural Law Association (ALA).

We will provide calm and practical, jargon-free advice that helps you to understand your position, presents your options and helps you to achieve the best possible outcome as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible.

Our experienced lawyers have developed practical and cost-effective solutions for farmers and farming businesses using the full range of legal approaches at our disposal, from alternative dispute resolution to court proceedings and litigation. We can also draw on an extensive network of third-party experts, including land agents, surveyors and accountants, to ensure that all our advice takes in the most relevant specialist professional opinions and gives you the best-possible chance of success.

Agricultural dispute approaches

In many agricultural disputes, an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method such as mediation, expert determination or arbitration, will be the best approach. Our team is highly skilled in all forms of ADR and has used these methods to achieve positive outcomes for clients across a range of disputes and sectors.

However, inevitably, some cases will require court proceedings and when they do, our commercial litigators have the skills and experience to be as robust and aggressive as is required to achieve the best outcomes for your business. Our team has a track record of success in handling complex cases, and we have been involved in notable cases reported in law reports, including disputes involving fiduciary duties and successful costs appeals.

Fees for agricultural disputes

We approach each agricultural dispute on a case-by-case basis, offering a range of funding options and always seeking to provide strategies that are as economical as possible.

During your initial consultation, we will explain the various approaches to funding your legal action, including exploring whether you have legal expense cover in any of the relevant insurance policies you may hold.