Solicitors Driffield

Clients in Driffield, Little Driffield, Nafferton, Wansford, Hutton Cranswick and Kilham instruct us for property, wills and family estates across the Wolds. There is no Brewer Wallace office in the town. We run your matter from Parliament Street in Hull, and because the journey is longer than it is for clients nearer the city, we deal with almost everything by telephone, post and email.

Typical matters include buying or selling a rural or town home, wills, probate and lasting powers of attorney. Our business law team acts for local companies.

Matters we look at closely in Driffield

These are the points we most often deal with on property in and around Driffield.

• Which council. Driffield searches go to East Riding of Yorkshire Council, whose offices are in Beverley. For rural property we also consider whether extra searches are worthwhile.
• Homes near the beck and the canal. Parts of the town lie close to Driffield Beck and the Driffield Navigation. We go through the flood search with you and recommend you confirm buildings insurance before exchange.
• Village homes. Some properties in the villages are not connected to mains drainage. We ask the seller for details of any septic tank or treatment plant and raise any concerns before you commit.
• Older, unregistered property. Some older homes and land in the East Riding have never been registered at HM Land Registry, so ownership is proved from the original deeds. We examine the deeds and deal with first registration for you.

Buying and selling in Driffield and the Wolds

Driffield is a market town surrounded by farmland, and buying here can raise points that do not come up in a city. On a rural home we check whether there is an agricultural occupancy condition limiting who can live there, and how access is granted over farm tracks or shared drives. Where relevant we also look at chancel repair liability, which can still affect property near older parish churches.

In the town itself, older homes around Market Place and Middle Street have often been altered over the years, and the town has two conservation areas, so we check that the right permissions are in place. With a station on the Hull to Scarborough line, some clients are moving here from Hull or the coast, and we can coordinate a sale in one area with a purchase in another.

Our legal fee for a purchase starts from £900 plus VAT, and for a sale from £895 plus VAT, confirmed in writing before any work begins.

Wills and estates for Wolds families

Passing on a farm, land or a family business needs more thought than an ordinary estate: who will run it, how other children are treated fairly, and what inheritance tax reliefs may apply. Please tell us at the outset, so that we can explain what is involved and confirm the cost before we start.

Some older land in the East Riding is still unregistered, so ownership depends on the original deeds. Noting where they are kept saves your executors time and cost. Care assessments for people living in Driffield are carried out by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and our care home fees page has more. Home visits can be arranged for anyone who cannot travel.