Law firms unite to take leading position in UK’s French legal services market
Leeds-based French Property specialist law firm Heslop & Platt is joining forces with Ashtons Legal with effect from today – 29 November.
Both companies are long-established players in this field with strong contacts among notaires, property agents and banks across France.
The firms are seeking to become the number one provider in the UK for those buying or selling residential property in France, transferring ownership related to a divorce or separation, wishing to make a French will to operate alongside their UK will, or dealing with post-death estate administration involving a French property.
Heslop & Platt is a niche business, dealing with a full range of legal services relating to French property. Ashtons Legal is a full service firm based regionally in East Anglia but with a strong French Legal Services team dealing with Wills, Tax and Estate Planning and Estate Administration as well as buying and selling property in France.
Both have been established in this field for over ten years, with solicitors Barbara Heslop and Matthew Cameron being well regarded within their professional sphere. Both existing brands will continue to operate, using their combined increased size to increase their market share and geographical reach in a cost-effective manner.
Heslop said: “Our reputation and client base in the north of the UK is stronger than that of Ashtons, but the full-service Ashtons’ infrastructure will give us a strength and depth that we could not realistically achieve alone.
“I’m very confident this will be a great move for both parties.”
Matthew Cameron, Ashtons Legal, added: “Amid all the debate, confusion and concerns in the UK this year about our future role in Europe, one thing has become very clear. The majority of people who love France and the French lifestyle are not going to change their plans in light of the political situation.
“The few who are choosing to sell their existing properties are, of course, also in need of our support. The main area in which we are seeing an increase in activity at present is those who already own homes in France and wish to make French Wills to sit alongside their English ones.
“We also deal with many succession issues on behalf of individuals who are inheriting property from parents who retired to France some years ago.
“We are very much looking forward to working with Barbara’s team. There is a great deal of synergy and it will be a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.”
